author
Johan August Udden
1859–1932
Born in Sweden and raised in the United States, this pioneering geologist helped shape early American sedimentology and played an important role in the study of Texas oil-bearing lands. He was also a longtime teacher whose work connected the classroom, the field, and the museum.
1 Audiobook
Fossil Ice Crystals: An Instance of the Practical Value of "Pure Science"
by Johan August Udden
About the author
Born on March 19, 1859, in Lekåsa, Sweden, he came to the United States as a small child when his family settled in Minnesota. He studied at Augustana College in Illinois, earned his bachelor's degree there in 1881, and later returned to teach natural science and geology. During his years at Augustana, he also helped build up the college's geology collections and museum work.
His scientific career ranged widely, but he is especially remembered for work in sedimentology and stratigraphy. Sources from Augustana and the University of Texas describe him as an early pioneer in the study of sediments, including grain-size classification and the use of well cuttings to understand subsurface geology.
Later, he joined the University of Texas and eventually led the Bureau of Economic Geology. There, his studies of West Texas geology helped guide understanding of oil and gas potential on university lands, giving his research a lasting practical impact as well as a scientific one. He died on January 5, 1932.