Robert A. (Robert Adam) Christman

Robert A. Christman was an American geologist and educator whose work joined careful science with a gift for explanation. He was born on May 16, 1924, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan after brief Army service during World War II.

He went on to become a professor of geology at Western Washington University, where he was known as a teacher as well as a scholar. Professional tributes describe him as a longtime contributor to geology education, and the National Association of Geoscience Teachers created the Robert Christman Distinguished Service Award in his honor.

Christman also wrote accessible geology books, including studies of Vermont landscapes such as The Geology of Mt. Mansfield State Forest and The Geology of Groton State Forest, along with work on the 1964 Alaskan earthquake seismograms recorded in Bellingham. He died on July 14, 2012, in Bellingham, Washington, at age 88.