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Andrew Lawson | |
|---|---|
 Lawson c. 1922 | |
| Born | (1861-07-25)July 25, 1861 |
| Died | June 16, 1952(1952-06-16) (aged 90) |
| Known for | Report on the1906 San Francisco earthquake |
| Awards | Hayden Memorial Geological Award(1935) Penrose Medal(1938) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geology |
| Institutions | University of California, Berkeley |
Andrew Cowper Lawson[1] (July 25, 1861 – June 16, 1952) was a Scots-born Canadian geologist who became professor of geology at theUniversity of California, Berkeley. He was the editor and co-author of the 1908 report on the1906 San Francisco earthquake which became known as the "Lawson Report". He was also the first person to identify and name theSan Andreas Fault in 1895, and after the 1906 quake, the first to delineate the entire length of the San Andreas Fault which previously had been noted only in theSan Francisco Bay Area. He also named theFranciscan Complex.
Lawson was born on July 25, 1861,[2] inAnstruther, Scotland.[3] He moved toHamilton, Ontario, Canada with his parents at age six. In 1883, he received his B.A. degree in natural science from theUniversity of Toronto.[2] He worked for theGeological Survey of Canada while pursuing his graduate degrees. He received his M.A. from the University of Toronto in 1885, and his Ph.D. fromJohns Hopkins University in 1888.
In 1890, he left the Geological Survey of Canada to work as a consulting geologist inVancouver. In October of the same year, he accepted a position as assistant professor of Mineralogy and Geology at the University of California in Berkeley. He became a full professor in 1892, and a professor emeritus from 1928 to his death on June 16, 1952.
Lawson was elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1915,[4] the United StatesNational Academy of Sciences in 1924,[5] and theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1925.[6] He was president of theGeological Society of America in 1926.[7][8]
He was a consulting geologist for the construction of theGolden Gate Bridge in the 1930s.
His home in theLa Loma Park area of theBerkeley Hills inBerkeley, California, called the "Andrew Cowper Lawson House" (1908), was especially designed for him by noted architectBernard Maybeck to withstand earthquakes.[9][10] The house is an official city designatedBerkeley Landmark.[11]
The mineralLawsonite is named for him, as is theLawson Adit, originally a mining construction research tunnel on UC Berkeley's campus. During the Cold War, it was used to house special equipment to monitor Soviet nuclear tests. It is currently used to house seismological instruments.
Lawson Peak (elev. 13,165 feet) in Sequoia National Park was officially named after him in 1976.[12]Lawson Hill (elev. 1,128 feet), located west of theBriones Hills inContra Costa County, California, is named for him.
