Henry Darwin Rogers
Encyclopedia
Henry Darwin Rogers FRS FRSE (August 1, 1808 – May 26, 1866) was an American
geologist
.
, of whose poem “The Botanic Garden” his father was a great admirer. In 1813 the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Henry was educated in the public schools, and in 1819 they moved to Williamsburg, Virginia
, where his father was professor of natural philosophy and mathematics in William and Mary College from 1819 until 1828, and which Henry attended for a short time. His father provided most of his education. After attending William and Mary, Henry worked at a school in Windsor, Maryland
which he administered with his brother William Barton Rogers
. It closed in 1828, and he joined his brother teaching at the Maryland Institute.
At the age of 21, he was chosen professor of chemistry
and natural philosophy at Dickinson College
, Pennsylvania
. During the year in which he held the professorship, he edited a monthly scientific magazine, The Messenger of Useful Knowledge, to which his brother contributed a series of short articles on the “Formation of Dew,” and in which educational, literary, and political articles and selections from foreign journals were also published. His interest in the ideas of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
was not welcome at Dickinson, and he resigned his professorship in 1831, and began working on behalf of the Owenites
. On their suggestion, in 1831 or 1832 he went to England
, where, with aid afforded him by his brother William, he studied chemistry
in the laboratory of Edward Turner, and attended other scientific lectures in London
, including those of De la Beche
on geology
.
He returned to Philadelphia in the summer of 1833, and in the ensuing winter delivered a course of lectures on geology in the hall of the Franklin Institute
. Having received the degree of Master of Arts
from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1834, he was elected professor of geology and mineralogy in that institution in 1835, where he remained until his resignation in 1846.
In 1835 he was chosen to make a geological and mineralogical survey of New Jersey
, and, in addition to a preliminary report in 1836, he published Description of the Geology of the State of New Jersey (Philadelphia, 1840). On the organization of the geological survey of the state of Pennsylvania in 1836, he was appointed geologist in charge, and engaged in active field work until 1841, when the appropriations were discontinued. During the ten ensuing years, his services were retained as an expert by various coal companies. During this period — in 1846 — he moved to Boston
. The field work of the survey was resumed in 1851 and continued until 1854. Six annual reports were published between 1836 and 1842, and in 1855 the preparation of a final report was confided to him. Finding that the work could be done less expensively abroad, he transferred his residence to Edinburgh
and issued The Geology of Pennsylvania, a Government Survey. The book, in two quarto volumes, contains 1682 pages, is illustrated by 778 woodcuts and diagrams in the text, 69 plates, and 18 folded sheets of sections, and was published by W. Blackwood & Sons (London and Edinburgh), and J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, in 1858.
In 1842, he and his brother William, who was similarly occupied with a geological survey in Virginia
(his reports were published in 1838 and 1841, and he wrote also on the connection between thermal springs and anticlinal axes and faults), brought before the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists
their conclusions on the physical structure of the Appalachian chain, and on the elevation of great mountain chains. The researches of H. D. Rogers were elaborated in his final report on Pennsylvania, in which he included a general account of the geology of the United States and of the coal fields
of North America
and Great Britain
. In this important work, he dealt also with the structure of the great coal fields, the method of formation of the strata, and the changes in the character of the coal
from the bituminous
type to anthracite
.
In 1854 he married Elizabeth Stillman Lincoln. They had two children.
In 1857 he was appointed Regius Professor of Natural History and Geology at Glasgow University. The same year he was also appointed as keeper of the Hunterian Museum and clerk to the trustees. One of his later essays (1861) was on the parallel roads of Lochaber
(Glen Roy
), the origin of which he attributed to a vast inundation.
He died at Shawlands
, Glasgow in 1866 seemingly as a result of a combination of overwork, a weak constitution and the effect of the Glasgow climate. He was buried at the Dean Cemetery
in Edinburgh.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
.
Biography
Rogers was born at Philadelphia. His middle name was given him in honor of Erasmus DarwinErasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin was an English physician who turned down George III's invitation to be a physician to the King. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave trade abolitionist,inventor and poet...
, of whose poem “The Botanic Garden” his father was a great admirer. In 1813 the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Henry was educated in the public schools, and in 1819 they moved to Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, where his father was professor of natural philosophy and mathematics in William and Mary College from 1819 until 1828, and which Henry attended for a short time. His father provided most of his education. After attending William and Mary, Henry worked at a school in Windsor, Maryland
New Windsor, Maryland
New Windsor is a town in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,303 at the 2000 census. It is a suburb of Westminster, which is about 6 miles east of New Windsor on Maryland Route 31. It contains many neighborhoods, the most known being the 100-acre Atlee Ridge, or "The...
which he administered with his brother William Barton Rogers
William Barton Rogers
William Barton Rogers was a geologist, physicist and educator. He is best known for setting down the founding principles for, advocating for, and finally obtaining the incorporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1861...
. It closed in 1828, and he joined his brother teaching at the Maryland Institute.
At the age of 21, he was chosen professor of chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and natural philosophy at Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. During the year in which he held the professorship, he edited a monthly scientific magazine, The Messenger of Useful Knowledge, to which his brother contributed a series of short articles on the “Formation of Dew,” and in which educational, literary, and political articles and selections from foreign journals were also published. His interest in the ideas of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach....
was not welcome at Dickinson, and he resigned his professorship in 1831, and began working on behalf of the Owenites
Robert Dale Owen
Robert Dale Owen was a longtime exponent in his adopted United States of the socialist doctrines of his father, Robert Owen, as well as a politician in the Democratic Party.-Biography:...
. On their suggestion, in 1831 or 1832 he went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where, with aid afforded him by his brother William, he studied chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in the laboratory of Edward Turner, and attended other scientific lectures in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, including those of De la Beche
Henry De la Beche
Sir Henry Thomas De la Beche FRS was an English geologist and palaeontologist who helped pioneer early geological survey methods.-Biography:...
on geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
.
He returned to Philadelphia in the summer of 1833, and in the ensuing winter delivered a course of lectures on geology in the hall of the Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
. Having received the degree of Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1834, he was elected professor of geology and mineralogy in that institution in 1835, where he remained until his resignation in 1846.
In 1835 he was chosen to make a geological and mineralogical survey of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and, in addition to a preliminary report in 1836, he published Description of the Geology of the State of New Jersey (Philadelphia, 1840). On the organization of the geological survey of the state of Pennsylvania in 1836, he was appointed geologist in charge, and engaged in active field work until 1841, when the appropriations were discontinued. During the ten ensuing years, his services were retained as an expert by various coal companies. During this period — in 1846 — he moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. The field work of the survey was resumed in 1851 and continued until 1854. Six annual reports were published between 1836 and 1842, and in 1855 the preparation of a final report was confided to him. Finding that the work could be done less expensively abroad, he transferred his residence to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and issued The Geology of Pennsylvania, a Government Survey. The book, in two quarto volumes, contains 1682 pages, is illustrated by 778 woodcuts and diagrams in the text, 69 plates, and 18 folded sheets of sections, and was published by W. Blackwood & Sons (London and Edinburgh), and J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, in 1858.
In 1842, he and his brother William, who was similarly occupied with a geological survey in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(his reports were published in 1838 and 1841, and he wrote also on the connection between thermal springs and anticlinal axes and faults), brought before the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists
Association of American Geologists and Naturalists
The Association of American Geologists and Naturalists was an American Scientific organization. The society was founded in 1840 as the "American Association of Geologists" in Philadelphia...
their conclusions on the physical structure of the Appalachian chain, and on the elevation of great mountain chains. The researches of H. D. Rogers were elaborated in his final report on Pennsylvania, in which he included a general account of the geology of the United States and of the coal fields
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. In this important work, he dealt also with the structure of the great coal fields, the method of formation of the strata, and the changes in the character of the coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
from the bituminous
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
type to anthracite
Anthracite coal
Anthracite is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster...
.
In 1854 he married Elizabeth Stillman Lincoln. They had two children.
In 1857 he was appointed Regius Professor of Natural History and Geology at Glasgow University. The same year he was also appointed as keeper of the Hunterian Museum and clerk to the trustees. One of his later essays (1861) was on the parallel roads of Lochaber
Lochaber
District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...
(Glen Roy
Glen Roy
Glen Roy in the Lochaber area of the Highlands of Scotland is a National Nature Reserve and is noted for the geological puzzle of the three roads ....
), the origin of which he attributed to a vast inundation.
He died at Shawlands
Shawlands
Shawlands is a district of Glasgow, Scotland located less than 2 miles south of the River Clyde. The area has an approximate population of 8000 people, with over 82% dwelling in flats, 74% owner occupied and 79% living alone or with one other person...
, Glasgow in 1866 seemingly as a result of a combination of overwork, a weak constitution and the effect of the Glasgow climate. He was buried at the Dean Cemetery
Dean Cemetery
The Dean Cemetery is a prominent cemetery in the Dean Village, in Edinburgh, Scotland.-Dean House:It stands on the site of Dean House , part of Dean Estate which had been purchased in 1609 by Sir William Nisbet, who became in 1616 Lord Provost of Edinburgh. The Nisbets of Dean held the office of...
in Edinburgh.