James L. (James Lindsay) Dyson

Born in 1912, James Lindsay Dyson was an American geologist and educator. Cornell University’s guide to his papers says he graduated from Lafayette College in 1933, earned his doctorate from Cornell in 1938, and taught geology at Cornell and Colgate before returning to Lafayette.

In 1947 he became head of Lafayette College’s Department of Geology and Geography, a role he held until his death in 1967. The same archival guide notes that his papers include material from his World War II and Army Reserve service, as well as research files, manuscripts, photographs, and reviews connected with his work as a geologist and teacher.

Dyson also wrote for readers beyond the classroom. Library and catalog records link him to works including The World of Ice, Glaciers and Glaciation in Glacier National Park, and The Geologic Story of Glacier National Park, showing his lasting interest in glaciers, landscape, and the story written in rock and ice.