FREDERICK WILLIAM SIMONDS
(1853-1941)
Dr. F. W. Simonds was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts on July 3, 1853, but
grew up in Indiana. He received his BA and MA degrees from Cornell and his PhD
from Syracuse University (1879). He served as an Instructor in Geology and
Paleontology while he was at Syracuse. He then joined the University of North
Carolina as Professor of geology, zoology, and botany, but in 1881 resigned and
moved to California for his health. In 1887 he returned to Cornell University as
Lecturer in economic geology; from 1887-1880 he was Professor of geology and
biology at the University of Arkansas; and for five years (1887-1892) he was
Assistant Geologist in the Arkansas Geological Survey.
In 1890 he came to UT as Associate Professor of Geology and Chairman, and was
also in charge, for a short time, of the Department of Biology. He served as
Chairman of the Department of Geology until 1922; he was promoted to Professor
in 1895. For ten years Dr. Simonds was the only geology teacher in the
university. He was a valued member of many university committees and for 10
years served as Secretary of the Faculty. Simonds also spent considerable time
during his early years in contact with university and state officials in the
search for funds to purchase fossil collections- an endeavor at which he was
successful several times.
Professor Simonds was one of the founders of the Geological Society of America;
was president of the Texas Academy of Science (1899-1900), and for many years
its secretary; a charter member of Sigma Xi and president of the Texas Chapter;
and an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa. He was awarded the honorary degree of
Doctor of Science by the University of Arkansas in 1893.
At the time of his death on March 27, 1941, Professor Simonds had been teaching
in the Department of Geology for 50 years and the department had a teaching
faculty of 13 people.
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