Memorial to Hisashi Kuno 1910-1969

MEMORIAL TO HISASHI KUNO 1910-1969 HELEN L. FOSTER U. S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California Professor Hisashi Kuno, an Honorary Fellow of The Geological Society of America since 1958, died of cancer in Tokyo, Japan, on August 6, 1969. The loss of Dr. Kuno is keenly felt in scientific circles throughout the world where he had become known as a leader and original thinker. No discussion of pyroxenes, basalts, andesites, or upper mantle problems was complete without Professor Kuno or ref erence to his work. Hisashi Kuno was born in central Tokyo, the Kanda district, on January 7, 1910, the eldest child of Kamenosuke and Tome Kuno. His father was an artist specializing in Japanese painting. Kuno commenced his education in the Negishi Primary School in Tokyo and in Tokyo Metropolitan 5th Junior High School. He then attended the Second High School in Sendai, a school noted for starting many outstanding Japanese geologists on their careers. Here, young Kuno preferred skiing and mountain climbing to study but, nevertheless, became sufficiently interested in geology to choose it as his life work. Several of his fellow students also became noted geologists, and as is traditional in Japan, he and his classmates maintained a close comradeship throughout life. In later years, whenever possible, Kuno returned to a mountain hut on Mt. Zao west of Sendai for climbing, skiing, and reminiscing with his school friends. In 1929 Kuno entered Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo). Even though the Geological Institute at Tokyo Imperial University had long been staffed with outstanding foreign and Japanese geologists, this was a particularly stimulating period in Japanese science and geology. The National Research Council had been organized in 1920, and one of its publications, “Japanese Journal of Geology and Geography,” came into existence two years later. The 1923 Tokyo earthquake disaster had given additional impetus to the study of seismology and related subjects. Seitaro Tsuboi was in the midst of outstanding work on volcanic rocks, pyroxenes, and other petrographic and geologic problems. Thus, it is not surprising that Kuno, an energetic young man, became engrossed in the field of petrology and volcanology and concentrated his entire attention on his studies at the Geological Institute. 27 28 THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Early in his university career, Kuno commenced his classic study of Hakone Volcano, doing the largest part of the field work between 1931 and 1937. During this time, he began to develop his ideas on pyroxenes and andesites. However, World War II intervened and he was drafted into the Japanese Army. Even while serving as a soldier in Manchuria, Kuno managed to make geologic observations on Manchurian basalts and peg matites and bring sufficient material from Manchuria to produce several papers. The years following World War II were difficult ones. Kuno came back from Manchuria to a crowded, war-devastated city. Housing was scarce, expensive, and inadequate. Salaries at the University were meager and working conditions were poor. For instance, the University buildings were unheated in the winter. Public transportation was crowded and often unsafe, but was the only way to get to the field. It was a discouraging and depres sing atmosphere in which to return to research and teaching. In spite of the many difficulties, Kuno completed his manuscripts on the Hakone region and, thereby, obtained a Doctor of Science degree in 1948. When his work on the Hakone region, along with his conclusions on the origin of the andesitic rocks and the role of the pyroxenes, were published in English in 1950, they attracted world-wide attention and opened the way for travel abroad. In 1951, through a Geological Society of America grant, Kuno spent a year at Princeton University at the invitation of Harry Hess. Although Dr. Kuno and Dr. Hess often disagreed regarding aspects of the crystalliza tion of pyroxenes, they deeply respected each other's ideas and became fast friends. On this first trip abroad, Kuno traveled across the continent mainly by bus to conserve money and to see more of the country. He was eager to see the Stillwater complex in Montana but could find no way to get there. With characteristic determination he took bus transportation as far as possible and, then, set out on foot, walking more than 20 miles just to reach the locality. Kuno’s work continued to gain attention both in Japan and abroad and, in 1954, he received the prize of the Japan Academy for his work on py roxenes. The award was received in the presence of the Emperor of Japan and is one of the highest national honors that can be achieved by a Japanese scientist. This year was also marked by the publication of a book in Japanese, Volcanoes and Volcanic Rocks, which became widely used as a text in Japan. In 1955 Hisashi Kuno was appointed to the coveted position of Professor of Petrology of the University of Tokyo. Although his administrative and teaching load continued to increase, his research and production of scientific papers remained at a high level. He wrote in 1958 that he was becoming HISASHI KUNO 29 increasingly concerned with “petrological interpretation of the Mohorovicic discontinuity.” In June 1958 Dr. Kuno was dealt a severe blow when his doctor dis covered an early stage of tuberculosis of the lungs. Complete rest was ordered, and Kuno reluctantly gave up both research and administrative duties. Characteristically, he took this major set-back in stride and used his enforced rest to spend extra time with his family. Kuno made a rapid recovery and, in a few months, was reading and writing scientific papers. By the end of 1959, he was working almost full time developing and record ing his ideas on high aluminum basalt. In 1961 Dr. Kuno was invited to present one of the public lectures at the Pacific Science Congress in Hawaii, a recognition of his ability to speak, and in English, not only to the scientific community, but to the layman as well. He also came to the United States under the auspices of the Amer ican Geological Institute’s Visiting International Scientist Program and visited 16 universities and educational institutions. Enroute back to Japan, he went to Alaska for the first time. He was tremendously impressed with the grandeur of the scenery and considered this visit one of the highlights of his life. His insuppressible love of mountaineering led him to plan a future traverse across a geologically little known and extremely rugged part of the Chugach Mountains. In 1962 the International Symposium on Volcanology was held in Japan, and Dr. Kuno, as its General Secretary, had a major responsibility for its organization. The meeting was such a great success that it became a model for future international symposia. Kuno’s activities in international scientific organizations continued to increase, and in his later years he spent much time abroad. He was in de mand as an invited speaker on problems of the upper mantle and genesis of basaltic and andesitic rocks. In 1964 the University of Minnesota invited him as a visiting professor of petrology. He became much interested in the petrology of the moon rocks and had been appointed one of the prin cipal investigators in the NASA Research Program. Japanese geologists and laymen alike were proud to be represented by Dr. Kuno in this endeavor and were eagerly looking forward to his examination of the first rocks from the moon. In fact, on July 21, only 15 days before his death, Dr. Kuno participated in a nation-wide 10-hour NHK television program which covered the lunar landing of the Apollo 11 astronauts. It is now known that Dr. Kuno was critically ill at the time and was accompanied to the television studio by a medical escort. It was a keen disappointment to all that his untimely death denied Dr. Kuno the opportunity of studying the rocks from the moon and applying his extensive and unique petrologic knowledge. 30 THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Dr. Kuno’s scientific interests were broad, and he was always willing to aid and cooperate with a fellow scientist in another field. His studies of the ash of the Fuji-san and Oshima volcanoes led him into anthropological and archeological considerations. He cooperated with a team of scientists in cluding botanists and zoologists in an over-all study of the Osegahara area when it was threatened by flooding due to a proposed dam. Although a U.S.-Japan cooperative program involved primarily geophysical research, he was a major participant. He was interested in the Antarctic and assisted in the organizing and training for Japan's first post-war expeditions there. Although he was much engrossed in research, Dr. Kuno was also a dedi cated and inspiring teacher. He was not bound by the tradition of the Japanese University, but was alert to the needs of his students and junior faculty. Kuno was quick to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the residence of many foreign geologists in Japan after World War II and, for example, participated, along with his students, in seminars that he organized for practice in presenting scientific papers in English. He gave a series of lectures in English on the geology of Japan, and many American geologists benefited from his cogent explanations of Japanese geology both in the field and in the office. He sponsored several visiting research professorships in the Geological Institute, some of which were held by American petrologists. He was tireless in helping his deserving students arrange for foreign study and travel. During recent years of student turmoil at the University of Tokyo, Dr.

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