American Institute of Geonomy and Natural Resources

Established in 1904 as the Department of Geology, and later known as the Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences, the Department of Geosciences has grown to become the center for the study of Earth, atmospheric, oceanographic, and environmental sciences at Princeton. Geoscientific studies at Princeton University date from 1854, when Arnold Guyot was appointed Professor of Geography and Physical Geology. Guyot was the sole instructor in geological sciences for 19 years and he was primarily responsible for the creation of the Geological Museum (located first in Nassau Hall and later in Guyot Hall), which grew from the fossils and geological specimens he collected for instructional purposes. Even in its early years, the department was a leader in geological and paleontological fieldwork. In 1877, three of Guyot's students - William Berryman Scott, Henry F. Osborn and Francis Speer - participated in Princeton's first field expedition to Colorado and Wyoming in order to collect vertebrate fossils. It was the first in a series of expeditions to the American west made by Princeton students and faculty, eight of which Scott himself led between 1882-1893. Scott was awarded the Blair Professorship of Geology and Paleontology in 1884 and was the department chair from 1904-1930. In 1909, five years after its founding, the Department of Geology moved into its home in Guyot Hall, a facility that also housed the department's growing Geological (or Natural History) Museum. Guyot Hall was designed by members of the department and funded by the mother of Cleveland H. Dodge (Class of 1879) who was a University trustee. In 1926, Richard M. Field initiated Princeton's Summer School of Geology and Natural Resources, a still-extant annual field course designed to teach students in techniques of geological and geophysical research. Under the tenure of chairman Harry H. Hess (1950-1966), the Department of Geology expanded its course offerings to touch on many subjects under the umbrella of geological science. In 1968, the name of the department was changed to the Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences to reflect the new curriculum. The department became known as the Department of Geosciences in 1996.

Princeton University. Department of Geosciences

Established in 1904 as the Department of Geology, and later known as the Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences, the Department of Geosciences has grown to become the center for the study of Earth, atmospheric, oceanographic, and environmental sciences at Princeton. Geoscientific studies at Princeton University date from 1854, when Arnold Guyot was appointed Professor of Geography and Physical Geology. Guyot was the sole instructor in geological sciences for 19 years and he was primarily responsible for the creation of the Geological Museum (located first in Nassau Hall and later in Guyot Hall), which grew from the fossils and geological specimens he collected for instructional purposes. Even in its early years, the department was a leader in geological and paleontological fieldwork. In 1877, three of Guyot's students - William Berryman Scott, Henry F. Osborn and Francis Speer - participated in Princeton's first field expedition to Colorado and Wyoming in order to collect vertebrate fossils. It was the first in a series of expeditions to the American west made by Princeton students and faculty, eight of which Scott himself led between 1882-1893. Scott was awarded the Blair Professorship of Geology and Paleontology in 1884 and was the department chair from 1904-1930. In 1909, five years after its founding, the Department of Geology moved into its home in Guyot Hall, a facility that also housed the department's growing Geological (or Natural History) Museum. Guyot Hall was designed by members of the department and funded by the mother of Cleveland H. Dodge (Class of 1879) who was a University trustee. In 1926, Richard M. Field initiated Princeton's Summer School of Geology and Natural Resources, a still-extant annual field course designed to teach students in techniques of geological and geophysical research. Under the tenure of chairman Harry H. Hess (1950-1966), the Department of Geology expanded its course offerings to touch on many subjects under the umbrella of geological science. In 1968, the name of the department was changed to the Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences to reflect the new curriculum. The department became known as the Department of Geosciences in 1996.