Geology

A Brief History of Geology
at Pasadena City College

1924: Pasadena Junior College established.
Edwin Van Amringe comes to PJC to teach Environmental Chemistry.
1927: First geology course taught by Edwin Van Amringe.
1928: H. Stanton Hill takes his first geology class from Van Amringe. Classes take several day-long field trips to Devils Gate, Crestmore, Cajon Pass, Tick Canyon, Rancho LaBrea etc...
1929: First overnight field trip to Red Rock Canyon during semester break.
1930: H. Stanton Hill becomes a geology assistant at PJC. Overnight field trip to Palm Canyon during semester break.
1931: Van Amringe, Hill and several other mineralologists organize the Mineralogical Society of Southern California (MSSC), the first group of its kind west of the Mississippi.
1933: The Long Beach Earthquake necessatates rebuilding of the Physical Sciences Building. Geology is taught in the Men's Gym until 1936.

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Edwin Van Amringe	H. Stanton Hill
Rodney Gale	Overnight field trip in the 40's

1935: H. Stanton Hill becomes a faculty member, and introduces mineralogy into the curriculum.
Edwin Van Amringe organizes a 10 - day, 2,000 mile field trip over Easter Vacation to North- eastern Arizona, establishing a long-standing tradition of field study which continues today.
1936: The Geology Department moves into the "E" Building.; Teaching of mineralology establishes a steady flow of geology majors.
1938: Rodney Gale, a paleontologist, joins the Faculty.; The Dana Club forms, composed of Geology Majors and other interested students.
1940's: The war years results in the curtailment of enrollment of male students.; Night mineralogy classes begin; Overnight field trips continue in spite of gas rationing.
1951: Van Amringe becomes chair of the Physical Sciences Department.
1956: Death of Edwin Van Amringe.
1957: The Van Amringe Scholarship Fund was established by the MSSC and PCC, and the first annual award was presented to Junelee McGee.
1960: Alice Corey, a mineralologist joins the faculty.
1961: Harry Lawrence, an engineering geologist, joins the faculty.

Alice Corey	Harry Lawrence
Richard Ohrbom	Peter Anderson

1964: Louis Vance donates his mineral collection to PCC, part of which is sold to benefit the Van Amringe Scholarship Fund.
1968: Richard Ohrbom, a structural geologist, joins the faculty.
Wayne Lowell donates his personal collection to the PCC Geology Library, part of which is sold to benefit the Wayne Lowell Scholarship Fund.
1969: Rodney Gale retires from PCC.
1970: Peter Anderson, a mineralologist, joins the faculty.
1970: Jerry Lewis, a paleontologist, joins the faculty.
1971: Bruce Carter, a petrologist, joins the faculty.
1973: H. Stanton Hill retires from PCC.
1974: Alice Corey becomes chairperson of the Physical Sciences Department.
Geology moves into the D building, then to the temporary A buildings while the E building undergoes extensive renovations.

Jerry Lewis	Bruce Carter
	Reed Ohrbom

1975

Dana Club begins its annual Minerals, Geodes and Jewelry sale to raise money for the Geology Museum and other activities.

Reed Ohrbom, joins the staff as lab technician.

Fall semester Dave Douglass takes his first geology course, from Harry Lawrence.

1976

Geology moves back into renovated and expanded quarters in the E building.

1978

H. Stanton Hill Geology Museum is opened.

1981

Dick Ohrbom retires. Pete Anderson leaves to persue a career in law.

1984

Reed Ohrbom leaves the staff, and Robert Hastings is hired as Lab Technician.

1986

Janet Hammond, a petrologist, is hired.

Bruce Carter becomes Chair of the Physical Sciences Division.

1987

Robert Hastings leaves the staff to persue a career in Hydrology. Patty Sea joins the staff as the new lab technician.

David Douglass is hired to replace Harry Lawrence on sabbatical.

1988

Harry Lawrence shifts to 1/2 time and Dr. Douglass becomes a permanent faculty member.

1989

Janet Gordon begins leading fall fieldtrips to Santa Cruz Island

1991

Jerry Lewis receives the Risser Award as Outstanding Teacher of the Year.

Jerry Lewis and Dave Douglass begin leading 2-week summer field trips to the Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau.

1992

Harry Lawrence retires.

Robert Hastings	Janet Hammond	Patty Sea
Dave Douglass	Dina Szabo

1993: Dave Douglass receives the Bigg's Earth Science Teaching Award from the Geological Society of America.
1995: Dave Douglass receives the Risser Award as Outstanding Teacher of the Year.
1997: Patty Sea retires as lab technician.
1998: Dina Szabo joins the staff as the new lab technician.
1999: Dina (the warrior lab tech) steps down as as her husband Kieth is re-assigned to Texas.
Debra Cantarero is hired as Lab Tech.
2002: Janet Gordon retires in order to have more fun with her husband, family and grandchildren!

	Janet Gordon retires. Many of her colleagues and former students gather for her retirement party (left).
Martha House	Ling O'Connor

Martha House-a petrologist and thermochronologist -and Ling O'Connor-a petrologist-join the Geology Department.

2005: Bruce Carter retires and Dave Douglass becomes the Natural Sciences Division Dean.
2006: Jerry Lewis retires.
: Bryan Wilbur, a paleontologist, joins the Geology faculty.
2007: Geologist and science education specialist Elizabeth Shadman joins the faculty.
The PCC Geology Department celebrates 80 years of academic excellence!

Revised August 15, 2007 by mahouse@pasadena.edu