author
Charles William Collinson
1923–2011
Drawn to fossils, ancient seas, and the rocky history of the Midwest, this longtime Illinois geologist helped make paleontology approachable for both specialists and curious beginners. His books and field guides opened a window onto prehistoric life in Illinois.
1 Audiobook
Field Book: Pennsylvanian Plant Fossils of Illinois
by Charles William Collinson, Romayne Skartvedt
About the author
Working for decades with the Illinois State Geological Survey, he built a career that ranged widely across paleontology and geology. Colleagues remembered him especially for early work in invertebrate paleontology and conodont biostratigraphy, and later for leading major studies of the Lake Michigan shoreline.
He also wrote in a clear, practical way for general readers. Publications such as Guide for Beginning Fossil Hunters and Pennsylvanian Plant Fossils of Illinois helped introduce many readers to fossils found in Illinois, while his research publications covered topics including Paleozoic microfossils, stratigraphy, and environmental geology.
Born in Wichita, Kansas, on December 15, 1923, he died in Champaign, Illinois, on November 25, 2011. The record that survives online suggests a scientist who was both productive and generous with his knowledge, equally at home in technical research and in explaining earth history to newcomers.