American Mineralogist, Volume 79, pages 575-576, 1994

Memorial of Thomas Brennan Nolan t90r-1992

D,q.vro B. Srewlnr U.S. GeologicalSurvey, Reston,Virginia 22092,U.S.A

Thomas BrennanNolan, seventhDirector of the U.S. GeologicalSurvey and a researcheconomic geologistwith the U.S. GeologicalSurvey for 68 years,died suddenly on August 2, 1992,of an embolism.He wasa Life Fellow of the MineralogicalSociety of America, which hejoined in 1926. While in high school, he read a book on metallurgy that so stirred his interestthat, when he enteredYale in 1918,he took this subjectas his major field; he received a Ph.B in 1921.A requiredcourse in elementarygeology by ProfessorAlan Bateman, however, persuadedTom Nolan to become a geologist.Attending Yale graduate schoolon a scholarship,he studiedwith Bateman,W. E. Ford, C. O. Dunbar, CharlesSchuchert, Adolph Knopf, and C. R. Longwell;he receivedhis Ph.D. in 1924 for a dissertationon the SpringMountains, Nevada, which led to his lifelong interestin Basin and Rangegeology. Adolph K-nopfhired Tom asa junior geologistwith the U.S. GeologicalSurvey in the summer of 1,924to assist with the study of the Mother Lode gold district in Cali- fornia. Nolan subsequentlystudied Au depositsin Utah, Nevada,and Arizona and wrote publicationson the Eu- reka, Gold Hill, Tonopah, Tuscarora,and other mining districts. He evaluatedpotash brines in the Great Salt Lake Desert. Utah. and he also evaluatedvarious dam sitesin Puerto Rico. Just beforeand during World War II, he was heavily involved with on-site supervisionof resourceappraisals ofstrategic minerals,especially W and Mn in the westernstates. He then held major adminis- trative responsibilitiesin the U.S. Geological Survey, servingas AssistantDirector from 1944 to 1956 and as Director from 1956to 1965.While Director, he contin- eration ofa national network for collection ofwater data. ued his field studiesin the Eurekadistrict eachsummer During his directorship, the Survey establishedregional because,as he put it, "I think the thing I rather enjoyed centers across the country and increasedsignificantly in most, even though I was supposedto be in mining geology, prestigeand size. was geologicmapping. It was nice to be able to put some Nolan was keenly aware of the long-rangeeconomic, lines on a map and know what they meant." A sort of social,and political implications of the heavy consump- latter-day shillelaghhe designed,a long-handled,medium- tion of nonrenewablemineral resourcesby only a small weight, hammer-shapedsledge called a Nolan hammer, is proportion of the world community. He consideredpos- still a great favorite among Survey hard-rock geologists. sible scientificand technicalresponses in his presidential As Director, Nolan led the U.S. Geological Survey addressesto the Societyof Economic Geologists(1950) through its postwardiversification into suchresearch ef- and to the GeologicalSociety of America (1962) and in forts as studiesofvolcano and earthquakehazards, eval- important papersdelivered at conferencesconcerned with uations of the effects of underground nuclear-weapons resourcesfor the future. He strongly believed that tech- testing, marine-scienceinvestigations, international co- nologicaldiscoveries could extendthe resourcesavailable operative investigations,photogeologic studies of the or developsuitable substitutes for many of them. He also Moon, assessmentof mineral resourcesin wildernessar- believedthat geologistswere too little involved in bring- eas, l:24000 topographicmapping, and designand op- ing their vital geologicknowledge to play in the formu- 0003-004x/94l0506-0575$02.00 5',15 5'76 STEWART: MEMORIAL OF THOMAS BRENNAN NOLAN, l90r-r992 lation of national policies.He was certain that the geol- 1934 (with G.H Anderson) The geyser area near Beowawe, Eureka ogist'sconcern with time and appreciationfor the dynamic County, Nevada: American Joumal of Science,5th series, v. 27, p. natureof the environment inevitability 2r5-229. and the of change I 935 The undergroundgeology of the Tonopah mining district, Nevada: were not properly factoredinto either the public's or the Universityof NevadaBulletin, v. 29, no.5,49 p politician'sdecision making with regardto minerals,wa- 1935 The Gold Hill mining distnct,Utah: U.S. GeologicalSuruey Pro- ter, topographicmaps, and land use,and he tried by per- fessionalPaper 177, 172 p. suasionand exampleto changethat. 1936 Nonferrous metal deposits (gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc), In judgment Mineral resourcesof the regronaround Boulder Dam: U.S Geological His sound in understandingthe long-range SurueyBulletin 871, p 5-77 usesand growth of geologicscience was complemented 1936 The Tuscarora mining district, Elko County, Nevada: University by his outstandingability to attract and selectvery ca- ofNevada Bulletin,v. 30, no. l, 36 p. pablescientists to lead and managethe Survey'sresearch 1943 The Basin and Range province in Utah, Nevada, and California: Throughout U.S GeologicalSurvey Professional Paper 197-D,p. 14l-196. efforts. his life, he interactedwith theselead- 1950 The searchfor new mining distncts:Economic Geology, v. 45, p. ers and other colleagueswith his quiet ways and gentle 60l-608. manners that earned him wide respectand numerous 1955 The outlook for the future-Nonrenewable resources:Economic honors and awards.Grateful colleaguesnamed nolanite, Geology,v. 50, p. l-8. an iron vanadium oxide mineral, in his honor, and sev- 1956 (with C.W. Merriam and J.S. Williams) The stratigraphicsection in the vicinity ofEureka, Nevada: U.S. GeologicalSuruey Professional eral invertebratefossils and a mountain peak in Antarc- Paper276,77 p. tica also bear his name. I 958 Use and renewal of natural resources:Science, v 128, no 3325, Tom Nolan held a great interest in birds throughout p 63t-636. his life and enjoyedbird watchingwith his late wife "Pete," l96l Imponance ofresearchin creatingmineral resources:Mining Con- gress v 47, no. 10,p. the former MabelleB. many Journal, 88-92. Orleman,and colleaguesand 1962 Role ofthe geologistin the national economy: GeologicalSociety friendsacross the world. His knowledgeof and first-hand ofAmenca Bulletin,v.73, p. 273-278. insightsinto long-rangeneeds for habitatsand goalsfor 1962 The Eureka mining district, Nevada: U S. GeologrcalSurvey Pro- nature preservesand naturalists' organizationswere freely fessionalPaper 406, 78 p. shared.His love of birding sustainedhis participation on 1965 Mineral fluids and America's future, In Young, Addison, and Gal- ley, J.8., Eds , Fluids in subsurfaceenvironments-A symposium: bitterly cold Christmas counts until he was in his late 80s. AmericanAssociation of PetroleumGeologists Memoir 4, p I l-19. The long, distinguishedpublic service careerof this 1968 (with R N. Hunt) The Eureka mining district, Nevada, In Ridge, gentleman of vision servesas an examplefor all. J.D., Ed., Ore Depositsof the United States1933-1967 (Graton-Sales Volume): New York, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and PetroleumEngineers, t. I, p.966-991. Spmcrno PusrrclrroNs 1973 (with C W Merriam and D.A. Brew) Geologicmap of the Eureka quadrangle,Eureka and White Pine Counties,Nevada: U.S Geological I 928 Potashbrines in the Great Salt Lake Desert,Utah: U S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map l-612, 30 p., scale SurveyBulletin 795-B,p 25-44. I :31680 1928 A late Paleozoic positive area in Nevada: American Journal of 1974 (with C.W. Merriam and MC. Blake,Jr) Geologicmap of the Science,5th series,v 16,p. 153-l6l Pinto Summit quadrangle,Eureka and White Pine Counties, Nevada: 1929 Notes on the stratigraphy and structure ofthe northwest portion U.S. GeologicalSurvey MiscellaneousInvestigations Series Map I-793, of Spring Mountain, Nevada: American Joumal of Science,5th series, 14p., scalel:31680. v. 17,p. 461-472 I 974 Stratigraphicevidence on the ageof the RobertsMountains thrust, I 930 The undergroundgeology of the westernpart ofthe Tonopah min- Eureka and White Pine Counties, Nevada: U S. Geological Survey ing district,Nevada: University of NevadaBulletin, v.24, no. 4,35 p. JournalofResearch, v 2, p.4ll-416. I 93 I (with W.T. Schaller)An occurrenceof spadaiteat Gold Hill, Utah: 1978 The Eurekamining district,Nevada, In Shawe,D R., Ed., Guide- American Mineralogrst,v 16, p. 231-236 book to mineral depositsofthe central Great Basin: Nevada Bureauof 1933 Epithermalprecious-metal deposits, In Ore depositsof the West- Mines and GeologyReport 32, p 5l-54 ern States(Lindgren volume), American Institule of Mining and Met- 1989 (with D R. Shawe)Gold in the Eureka mining district, Nevada: allurgical Engineers,New York, p 623-640. U.S GeologicalSurvey Bulletin 1857-C,p C27-C37