George Gibbs (mineralogist)
Encyclopedia
George Gibbs was an American mineralogist and mineral collector. The mineral gibbsite
is named after him.
He spent several years while a young man travelling abroad, and devoted much of his time and wealth to the collection of minerals. On his return to Rhode Island he brought with him the most extensive and valuable collection ever seen in the United States up to that time. It consisted of the collection of Gigot d'Orcy (1733–1793), containing 4,000 specimens, and that of Count Gregoire de Razumowsky
, containing 6,000 specimens. These, with the results of his own gathering, formed a cabinet of more than 20,000 minerals. The collection was first exhibited in Newport, Rhode Island.
In 1822 he was elected vice-president of the New York lyceum of natural history, He published valuable papers both in the "American Mineralogical Journal " and the "American Journal of Science."
Gibbs offered to deposit his collection at Yale. In 1825 he offered it for sale at $20,000, giving the preference to Yale. The funds were raised through the influence of Professor Silliman. Gibbs continued his interest in mineralogy, making extensive journeys and developing new mineral localities.
He married Laura, daughter of Oliver Wolcott, secretary of the treasury during the administrations of Washington and John Adams. Their son, George Gibbs Jr., was an antiquarian, born in Sunswick, now Astoria, Long Island in July, 1815. The younger Gibbs died in New Haven, Connecticut
on April 9, 1873.
Gibbsite
Gibbsite, Al3, is one of the mineral forms of aluminium hydroxide. It is often designated as γ-Al3 . It is also sometimes called hydrargillite ....
is named after him.
He spent several years while a young man travelling abroad, and devoted much of his time and wealth to the collection of minerals. On his return to Rhode Island he brought with him the most extensive and valuable collection ever seen in the United States up to that time. It consisted of the collection of Gigot d'Orcy (1733–1793), containing 4,000 specimens, and that of Count Gregoire de Razumowsky
Grigory Razumovsky
Count Grigory Kirillovich Razumovsky was a Ukrainian nobleman, political philosopher, botanist, zoologist and geologist known from his writings in the West as Gregor or Grégoire, who lost his Russian citizenship for openly criticizing the czarist system under emperor Alexander I, which he saw as...
, containing 6,000 specimens. These, with the results of his own gathering, formed a cabinet of more than 20,000 minerals. The collection was first exhibited in Newport, Rhode Island.
In 1822 he was elected vice-president of the New York lyceum of natural history, He published valuable papers both in the "American Mineralogical Journal " and the "American Journal of Science."
Gibbs offered to deposit his collection at Yale. In 1825 he offered it for sale at $20,000, giving the preference to Yale. The funds were raised through the influence of Professor Silliman. Gibbs continued his interest in mineralogy, making extensive journeys and developing new mineral localities.
He married Laura, daughter of Oliver Wolcott, secretary of the treasury during the administrations of Washington and John Adams. Their son, George Gibbs Jr., was an antiquarian, born in Sunswick, now Astoria, Long Island in July, 1815. The younger Gibbs died in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
on April 9, 1873.