New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

Our goal since day one, April 12, 1947, has been to promote the science of geology and related subjects. This began 50 years and 6 days ago.

Results have been fantastic. For 50 springs we've gathered to present technical talks, exchange geologic data, and enjoy good fellowship. For 47 years we've held autumn field conferences, covering our state and extending west to Grand Canyon, south to Ciudad Chihuahua, east to Rustler Hills in West Texas, and north to Glenwood Springs, CO. Geologic road logs cover that vast area. Papers, more than a thousand, describe all geologic aspects and glimpses of history, archeology, botany, and zoology. We are the premier state geologic society on this the third planet from the sun. And, it is done by volunteers!

Most noteworthy has been our recognition and financial support of budding geologists, students. As Dave Schoderbek noted in his November presidential report, we awarded almost $14,000 in scholarships, fellowships, and research grants to 45 students. As usual we rewarded outstanding geology exhibits at the State Science Fair. At last year's spring meeting, 26 of the 53 talks were given by students.

The fourth goal of our founders was to enhance geology for the general public. Our major effort has been our geologic highway map with layperson-language descriptions. It is a best seller.

Volunteers? Throughout the half century, hundreds of geologists have served. Government and industry have contributed heavily with employee time and services donated by NMBM&MR, university geology departments, federal and other state agencies, and with industry and consultants doing their share. We have all been in this together. Special support in recent years has been by Charles Chapin, NMBM&MR director, Barry Kues, UNM chairman, and NMSU chairmen Greg Mack and our departed amigo Russ Clemons.

The first Spring meeting was at UNM. The principal instigators were Vincent Kelley and Stuart Northrop, UNM, Charles Read, USGS, and industry geologists Robert Murphy and Caswell Silver. Spring meetings have been held throughout the state but mainly in Albuquerque and Socorro. During the first 35 years a range of 4 to 20 talks were given, but now more than 50 papers have been presented in concurrent sessions. Part of the explosion in numbers of talks has been in more talks by students, giving them exposure and experience. Women have joined in increasing numbers, pioneered by Christina Balk, our 1977 Honorary Member. There are fewer papers on economic geology, particularly petroleum geology, and more talks on groundwater and environmental geology- a sign of our time.

NMGS's unbroken string of superb field conferences and guidebooks is unrivaled. In these volumes and the spring talks many new geologic concepts and facts have been introduced, such as the Rio Grande rift, the first diagnostic Cambrian fossils in the state, Pennsylvanian outcrops near Eaton Ranch, and Precambrian near Bent, to mention a few.

The list of outstanding geologists who have served the Society, many of whom are ghost riders in the sky, and going back at least 25 years include: Vincent Kelley, Stuart Northrop, Charles Read. Robert Murphy, Caswell Silver, Christina Balk, Robert Bieberman, Richard Holt, Elmer Baltz, Bill King, John Hawley and Sherman Wengerd, listing a few among many. Clay Smith helped lead the1950 first field conference, with Edward Beaumont an associate editor of the guidebook. Robert Weber was on that trip, on most of the other 46 field conferences, and co-editor of the 13th guidebook. Fred Trauger is our chief proponent of distributing guidebooks. He has matched his zeal with funds to reprint guidebooks.

Thus, from radio to TV, biplanes to supersonic jets, slide rules to calculators, manual typewriters to computers, Army WWII surplus jeeps to air-conditioned radio-access 4WD Explorers, our first 50 years have been productive. Buena suerte, good luck for the next 50.