James Hall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 12, 1811 |
| Died | August 7, 1898(1898-08-07) (aged 86) |
| Citizenship | American |
| Awards | Hayden Memorial Geological Award(1890) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | geologist,paleontologist,stratigraphy |
| Doctoral advisor | Amos Eaton,Ebenezer Emmons |
James Hall Jr. (September 12, 1811 – August 7, 1898) was an Americangeologist andpaleontologist. He was a noted authority onstratigraphy and had an influential role in the development of paleontology in the United States.
James Hall was born inHingham, Massachusetts, the oldest of four children. His parents, James Hall Sr. and Sousanna Dourdain Hall, had emigrated from England two years earlier. Hall developed an early interest in science and enrolled inRensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a recently established college that emphasized student participation and focused on science. He was a student ofAmos Eaton andEbenezer Emmons, both notable geologists. Hall graduated with honors in 1832, received his master's degree in 1833, and remained at Rensselaer to teach chemistry and later geology.
In 1836 a multi-year survey was established to collect information on the geology and natural history of New York.[1] For purposes of the survey, the state was divided into four districts, and Hall became assistant geologist forEbenezer Emmons, chief of the Second District. Hall's initial assignment was to study iron deposits in theAdirondack Mountains. The following year the survey was reorganized: Hall was put in charge of the Fourth District, in western New York. Other notable geologists working on the survey includedLardner Vanuxem andTimothy Conrad. Working together, the survey staff developed astratigraphy for New York and set a precedent for naming stratigraphic divisions based on local geography.
At the end of the survey in 1841, Hall was named the first state paleontologist. In 1843 he made his final report on the survey of the fourth geological district, which was published asGeology of New York, Part IV. (1843). It was received with much acclaim and became a classic in the field. Hall had built a solid reputation and was to devote the rest of his life to stratigraphic geology andinvertebrate paleontology.
He was elected to theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1854.[2]
Hall built a laboratory inAlbany, New York, which became an important center of study and training for aspiring geologists and paleontologists. Many notable scientists began their career serving an apprenticeship with Hall, includingFielding Meek,Charles Walcott,Charles Beecher andJosiah Whitney. Now known as theJames Hall Office, the laboratory was designated aNational Historic Landmark in 1976.[3]
Among his many works, James Hall identified thatstromatolite fossils discovered atPetrified Sea Gardens, a site nearSaratoga Springs, New York that is now also a National Historic Landmark, were originally organic.[4]
After his work in New York, Hall extended his studies to other regions of the country. In 1850 Hall participated in a geological survey of northern Michigan and Wisconsin, where he identified the first fossil reefs ever found in North America. He was appointed state geologist forIowa (1855–1858) andWisconsin (1857–1860). In addition, several other state survey programs sought out Hall for his expertise and advice. In 1866 he was made director of theNew York State Museum of Natural History in Albany. In 1893 he was appointed the State Geologist of New York.
Between 1847 and 1894 Hall published 13 volumes ofThe Palaeontology of New York, his principal contribution in the field. This massive work consisted of over 4500 pages and 1000 full-page illustrations. In addition, Hall wrote more than 30 other books, published over 1000 works,[5] and contributed sections to several federal and state publications on geology.
He was a founding member of theNational Academy of Sciences and the first president of theGeological Society of America.[6] He was one of the founders of the International Geologic Congress and served as a vice-president at their sessions in Paris, Bologna, and Berlin. He was elected one of the fifty foreign members of theGeological Society of London in 1848, and in 1858 was awarded itsWollaston Medal. In 1884 he was elected correspondent of theFrench Academy of Sciences.
At the age of 85 he traveled toSt. Petersburg to attend the International Geological Congress and also participate in an expedition to theUral Mountains. Hall died two years later inBethlehem, New Hampshire. He is buried at theAlbany Rural Cemetery, Albany, New York.
A residence hall atRensselaer Polytechnic Institute is named after James Hall. It is officially known as Hall Hall.[7]
In 1838 Hall marriedSarah Aikin, the daughter of a Troy lawyer. They had two daughters and two sons. Sarah helped illustrate some of Hall's publications. In 1849 she published an illustrated book of poetry,Phantasia, and other poems.[8] Included in this volume was her English translation of Schiller'sRitter Toggenburg. She died in 1895.[9]
A comprehensive listing of the 1062 publications of James Hall was published in 2017 by Horowitzet al. in theBulletins of American Paleontology.[5]
Media related toJames Hall at Wikimedia Commons
Works by or aboutJames Hall atWikisource
