- R. A. F. Penrose, Jr.
R. A. F. Penrose, Jr. (
December 17 ,1863 –July 31 ,1931 ) was an American mininggeologist and entrepreneur.Richard Alexander Fullerton Penrose, Jr., better known as R.A.F. Penrose throughout his career, graduated in 1885 with a Ph.D. from
Harvard for work onphosphates . Afterward, he performed Geological Surveys inTexas andArkansas until 1892, and then traveled the country as a mining surveyor. Most notable was his survey ofCripple Creek ,Colorado , for the U.S. Geological Survey. Penrose was a person of high integrity, and he refrained from purchasing or investing in mines in the Cripple Creek area because of what he saw as his ethical responsibility as aUSGS employee, but did purchase and invest in mines elsewhere, including silver and copper mines in Arizona. After his father died in 1908, Penrose made a complete career change, using his knowledge as a mining geologist to succeed as a mining investor and as an entrepreneur in other areas as well. Having amassed considerable wealth in these efforts, Penrose established thePenrose Medal of theGeological Society of America (GSA) in 1927. Penrose was very active in GSA: he was elected as a Member of GSA in 1889, served on GSA Council from 1914 to 1916, was GSA vice president in 1919, a member of the Finance Committee from 1924 to 1929, and GSA president in 1930. Upon his death in 1931, he left a generous bequest to GSA, with the remainder of his estate after more minor bequests divided equally between theGeological Society of America and theAmerican Philosophical Society of Philadelphia: nearly $4 million went to each society. The Penrose bequest serves to support the research grants program of the Geological Society of America.References
*Eckel, Edwin B., editor, 1982, The Geological Society of America--Life History of a Learned Society: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Memoir 155, p. 14-24.
*Helen R. Fairbanks and Charles P. Berkey, "Life and Letters of R. A. F. Penrose, Jr."
* [http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/histgeol/penrose/penrose.htm Penrose's relation to the GSA]
* [http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/histgeol/penrose/collect.htm Cross and Penrose Rock Collection at Cripple Creek]
* [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/books/dumble/publications/05/05a003a.html Texas Geological Survey by R.A.F. Penrose]
* [http://www.stategeologists.org/Awards/AASGAwardsGuidelinesRev.pdf A Directory of Selected Awards and Medals for the Geosciences]
* [http://www.gsajournals.org/archive/1052-5173/16/12/pdf/i1052-5173-16-12-29c.pdf GSA Benefactor Inducted into National Mining Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.geosociety.org/grants/ Geological Society of America - Grants ] at www.geosociety.org
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