Louise Jordan (geologist)

Louise Jordan (3 January 1908 – 2 November 1966) was an influential petroleum geologist. Most notably she received a honorary membership to the Oklahoma City Geological Society.^[1]

Early life and education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology: The school Louise Jordan attended when achieving her Masters and Doctorate.

Louise Jordan was born on January 3, 1908 in the city of Joplin, Missouri. She attended Port Henry High School in New York, and later continued her education at Wellesley College to achieve a Bachelors degree in geology. Jordan's interest in geology originated in her father, as his career as a mining engineer revolved around the field of geology. ^[2]

Jordan furthered her passion for geology in 1931 by getting a Masters degree in Micro-Paleontology at M.I.T. She later taught at the American College for Girls in Istanbul, Turkey, before returning back to M.I.T. in 1933 to begin work on her doctoral dissertation. Jordan completed her Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1939 after brief terms of employment in Turkey and Texas, respectively.^[2]

Career

While pursuing her doctorate, Jordan taught part time at Mount Holyoke College. Jordan later pursued stratigraphy in the petroleum field. Within her Micro-paleontology degree she looked at foraminifera which was a popular field for women during that era. Post teaching, her work took her back to Istanbul to work in in the field of mineral research but later coming back to the US. Her work in petroleum field took her to the University of Oklahoma where she resided until she passed away in 1966. Prior to her death, she worked with oil companies in Florida, Texas and Oklahoma while publishing her research and aiding fellow geologists to do so as well. Jordan published over 80 articles in her career, making her an integral part of the geological community on both a local and national level. ^[3]

History

Louise Jordan was introduced to geology at a very young age through her father, a mining engineer, who took his family along with him on all of his travels. From there Jordan developed an interest in geology that would lead her to pursuing a career in the geology field. In 1929, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in geology and chemistry from Wellesley College. From 1950-1951, she worked as a geologist consultant at the Florida Geological Survey. In 1955, she moved to Oklahoma to work at the Oklahoma Geological Survey.^[1]

After death

Louise Jordan died on November 22, 1966. The impression she left on her friends and family inspired Jordan's brother and friends to create the "Dr. Louise Jordan Memorial Fund", designed to help graduate students continue their education in geology at the University of Oklahoma. ^[2]

References

1. 1 2 "Memorial: Louise Jordan (1908-1966)". American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin. 52 (10). 1968. 
2. 1 2 3 Rake Shrock, Robert (1982). A History of the First Hundred Years of Geology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The MIT Press. pp. 404–405. ISBN 978-0262192118. 
3. ↑ Shrock, Robert Rakes (1982-01-01). Geology at MIT 1865-1965: A History of the First Hundred Years of Geology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Department Operations and Projects. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262192118.