author
Edward Hitchcock
1793–1864
A pioneering American geologist and educator, he helped bring geology into college classrooms and became widely known for his work on fossil footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. He also served as the third president of Amherst College, balancing scientific study with a lifelong interest in religion and public education.
1 Audiobook
The Religion of Geology and Its Connected Sciences
by Edward Hitchcock
About the author
Born in Deerfield, Massachusetts, in 1793, Edward Hitchcock built a remarkably varied career as a minister, teacher, scientist, and college leader. Before becoming nationally known for his scientific work, he served as principal of Deerfield Academy and as a Congregational minister in Conway, Massachusetts.
Hitchcock joined Amherst College in 1826 as professor of chemistry and natural history and later became its third president, serving from 1845 to 1854. He was one of the most influential American geologists of his era, especially through his surveys of Massachusetts and his teaching, which helped make geology a more established part of higher education in the United States.
He is remembered in particular for his studies of fossil footprints, including tracks later understood to be dinosaur footprints, and for writing extensively about the relationship between science and religion. He died in Amherst in 1864, leaving behind a legacy shaped by curiosity, faith, and a gift for explaining the natural world to students and general readers alike.