Stanley William Lohman

Born on May 19, 1907, in what is now Hollywood, California, he grew up in southern California and studied geology at the California Institute of Technology. He earned his bachelor’s degree there in 1929, continued graduate work, and later completed a master’s degree based on hydrologic investigations in northeastern Pennsylvania.

He joined the U.S. Geological Survey in 1930 and built a long career in geology and hydrogeology. A memorial published by the Geological Society of America describes him as one of the major figures in hydrogeology, as well as a gifted teacher, writer, and editor.

For general readers, he is especially remembered for books such as The Geologic Story of Arches National Park, The Geologic Story of Canyonlands National Park, and The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument. Those works helped explain the geology of the canyon country in plain, engaging language, making big landscapes feel both understandable and unforgettable.