Smithsonian Institution Secretary Charles Doolittle Walcott

About this book

Charles Doolittle Walcott (1850-1927) is a highly respected figure in the history of geology and paleontology. Perhaps his most notable contribution to his field was his discovery of the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale one of the most important fossil discoveries ever made. In addition to his distinguished field work Walcotts career included years of service as an administrative leader in the scientific community: as director of the U.S. Geological Survey as secretary of the Smithsonian Institute as organizer of the National Space and Aeronautics Administration as a founding member of the National Academy of Sciences. Smithsonian Institution Secretary continues the story Ellis L. Yochelson began in Charles Doolittle Walcott Paleontologist (1998). Using Walcotts letters and journals and the recollections of friends and colleagues Yochelson discusses Walcotts life and career as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Accompanied by illustrations and photographs from private collection