Curtis, Garnis.Book

Regional Oral History Office University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Garniss Curtis A CAREER IN GEOLOGY AND GEOCHRONOLOGY 1948-1989 Interviews Conducted by Eleanor Swent in 2002 Copyright © 2008 by The Regents of the University of California Since 1954 the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral history is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is indexed, bound with photographs and illustrative materials, and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ************************************ All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Garniss Curtis, dated July 29, 2002. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, Mail Code 6000, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000, and should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Garniss Curtis, “A Career in Geology and Geochronology 1948-1989,” an oral history conducted by Eleanor Swent in 2002, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2008. Garniss Curtis photo courtesy of Clem and Sharie Shute TABLE OF CONTENTS—GARNISS CURTIS INTERVIEW 1: July 29, 2002 Tape 1 1 Early memories, childhood in San Rafael, parents’ divorce—moving in with maternal grandparents— grandfather’s business connections in paint and marble—mother’s lineage: Van Nordens and O’Reillys—father’s lineage: Kemps—more on parents’s divorce, father’s remarriage and half brother Chester—reunion with father at age 35, orchestrated by wife Dorette—early interest in hunting inspired by uncles, father and grandfather—learning to hunt with bows and arrows—childhood friends—heart murmer diagnosis in high school and resultant military ineligibility—graduation and first job as a mining engineer in Arizona—changing attitude toward and eventual distaste for hunting—early schooling: starting kindergarten—elementary school teachers—math proficiency, interest in building and engineering—lifelong friendship with Brian McCarthy, Brian’s Catholic background—mother’s Catholic schooling and eventual atheism—mother’s experience during the 1906 earthquake. Tape 2 12 Being raised atheist, later agnosticism—scientific wonder and and religious skepticism—differing diagnoses of heart murmer, move to Ventura to work with Shell Oil—premonitions and other scientifically-inexplicable events—UFO research—Journal of Scientific Exploration—commuting with sister to San Rafael High School—childhood scientific stimuli, grandmother’s influence— mother’s remarriage in 1929 to Allan Ralston Curtis, move to Ross—stepfather’s interest in golf— developing talent for basketball—name change in college to Curtis—first book of scientific facts in sixth or seventh grade, resulting interest in libraries and science—the family weathers the Depression. INTERVIEW 2: August 14, 2002 Tape 3 25 Overview of highschool, being the only boy in typing class—starting college, feeling socially unprepared, joining a fraternity—keeping in touch with college and high school friends—school friends lost in WWII—changing majors to economic geology, graduation and marriage to Dorette Davis on May 14, 1942—move to Christmas, Arizona for a copper mine engineering job— researching Tornado Peak—return to California for job with Shell Oil after the war, decision to pursue a Ph.D.—lessons learned working at Shell: competent and incompetent geologists—using maps superior to USGS maps—work with Lloyd Lewis and Paul Pustmueller—leaving Shell, beginning Ph.D. program in 1946 at UC Berkeley—work with Howel Williams—transition to teaching after Carlton Hulin’s departure—research at Markleeville—“nués ardents” deposits, story of 1902 eruption of Mont Pelée on Martinique. Tape 4 38 More on nués ardents found at Markleeville—growing fascination with volcanology, the 1912 eruption of Katmai, and C.N. Fenner’s work—first visit to Katmai in 1953 with Werner Juhle—cold, harsh conditions at Katmai—studying Novarupta—first impressions of Juhle, ordering more powdered milk—betting the meagre bourbon stash: is it ash or Naknek formation?—Juhle’s plans to work at UCB with Curtis, then disappearance at Katmai—return to Katmai to search for Juhle’s body—further research at Katmai in 1954—increasingly harsh conditions: cold, rainy weather and radio communication difficulties—tramping and mapping, equipment—bear invasion of the camp and supplies—meeting with Bob Spring, LIFE magazine photographer and gravely ill companion— impressive flying by pilot, Woody, to rescue the sick man—following the trail of Juhle’s belongings in search of his body—mapping, investigating: where did all this pumice come from? INTERVIEW 3: August 15, 2002 Tape 5 53 Professors: Lawson and Louderback—the academic senate and General Assembly—changing away from and back to the semester system—effects of the Free Speech Movement—early teaching career, starting out teaching everything—basalt research—inspired moments of discovery about Katmai basalt formations—Potassium-Argon dating—more clues in Juhle’s disappearance, his mother finds a scrap of wool from his sweater along the trail—working with Jack Evernden to get Miller Institute fellowships—fellowship in New Zealand, 1958, then to Japan, looking for potassium-containg rocks to date—Olduvai Gorge with the Leakeys in 1961—encounter with a rhino mother and baby. Tape 6 67 More on Richard Leakey—the Berkeley-Leakey connection beginning with Jack Evernden in 1957— fuding for Olduvai research given by the Miller Institute and the National Science Foundation—fossil finds on Rusinga in Lake Victoria—the Wenner-Gren Foundation and Burg Wartenstein castle—feud with Louis Leakey—dubious “artifacts” from the Mojave Desert. Tape 7 75 Kay Behrensmeyer’s work at Koobi Fora, the KBS Tuff, in the Lake Turkana area—controversy over dating accuracy—falling out with Jack Miller—the Institute of Human Origins—Argon-Argon dating with Don DePaulo—raising money for new equipment, 1980s—Al Deino computerizes the laser Argon-Argon dating process—research in Java beginning in 1968—dating Mojokerto samples at 1.8 million, and resistance from Richard Kline at Stanford—hominid skulls at Dmanisi, Georgia, dated at 1.8 million—the question of when hominids left Africa—Java Man—fall-out between BGC and IHO. Tape 8 89 Friendship with Gordon Getty—long-time assistant Sharie Shute. INTERVIEW 4: August 22, 2002 Tape 8 continued 93 Laetoli footprints—work with Mark Monahan—Monahan’s career—meeting two American women on the road from Kenya to Tanzania—car-camping along the way, wildlife sightings—colleague Richard Hay—some remarkable students: Kay Behensmeyer and Deb Chandra, more on Mark Mohahan—Frank Brown and Clark Howell—meetings at Burg Wartenstein—developing technology in argon and potassium dating—students Brent Dalrymple and Jack Evernden—Ian McDougall. Tape 9 104 Help from paleontology student Gideon James—break with Jack Evernden—the struggle for a new building: Bacon Hall to McCone—naming of McCone—Shasta Reservoir iron mine lawsuit and Andrew Lawson’s dealings with John Haulsey—project to surround the USSR with seismographs to detect nuclear testing—more on Jack Evernden: career and marriages—marital “musical chairs” within the department—democratic departmental politics, polling before awarding a position— Evernden’s unpopular style—meeting Walter Alvarez. Tape 10 116 More on Walter Alvarez—Bob Drake. INTERVIEW 5: August 23, 2002 Tape 11 119 Students Robert Drake, Dan Krumacher—Gordon Gastil—Mark (Chris) Christianson and work in the Andes—catching hepatitis in Mexico—work with Bob Drake in the Mauli River area, 1970— inadvertent border crossing into Argentina, car trouble—Chilean politics: Allende and the communists—risky foray into Argentina with forged license plate to buy Scotch—the San Fernando earthquake in 1971—Neil Gilbert and new computer technology—socializing with grad students— business with Drake’s in-laws—learning to use computer automation in Argon-Argon dating, the race to publish—getting the credit for dating Lucy. Tape 12 131 Involvement with the AAAS, working with Sharie Shute—

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