John Chronic

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921, John Chronic was a geologist, educator, and author whose work focused especially on the American West. He served in World War II as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces, then returned to academic life and built a career in geology.

He taught at the University of Colorado and became well known for writing about Colorado geology in a way that reached both students and general readers. His best-known books include Prairie, Peak, and Plateau, written with Halka Chronic, as well as bibliographic and reference works in geology.

Chronic died in 1996. He is remembered not only for research and teaching, but for helping readers understand how mountains, plains, and plateaus tell the long story of the earth.