GSOC Past Presidents 1950-1954

1950

DR. EDWIN THOMAS HODGE

FIRST GSOC PRESIDENT, 1935-36; SIXTEENTH GSOC PRESIDENT, 1950-51

THE OREGONIAN, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1970

Dr. Edwin T. Hodge Dies; Sparked OMSI

Dr. Edwin T. Hodge, noted geologist and the man who sparked the drive to found the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, is dead, The Oregonian learned Friday.

In accordance with Dr. Hodge's wishes, there was no funeral for the 8l-year-old scientist, who died at his home, 2915 NW Luray Terrace, Nov. 7.

A professor of geology at both the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, Dr. Hodge served as a consult­ant to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1932 to 1942. In that capacity, he located the site for the Bonneville Dam and supervised its foundation work.

Society Formed

On April 18, 1935, the Geology Society of the Oregon Country was formed from the nucleus of 100 students taught by Dr. Hodge. In an address to the society In 1945, he offered the concept for a museum "that will become the Smithsonian of the West.”

As geology society president, he appointed Dr. John Cyprian Stevens as the society's museum director and in 1946 OMSI was born.

Dr. Hodge edited numerous publications, dealing with his field, including a 16-volume summary of the natural resources of the Pacific Northwest.

His reports on mineral sources have been used extensively by the electrochemical and electrometallurgical industries of the Northwest. In addition to his teaching, Dr. Hodge acted as a geological consultant for industry and governments on four continents.

Dr. Hodge was preceded in death by his wife, Lydia Herrick Hodge, an artist and educator. They had no children.

The geologist is survived by a niece, Mrs. Marion Walker, Portland.

The family suggests remembrances be contributions to the Geological Society of the Oregon Country, in care of OMSI.

1951

Ford E Wilson

Ford E Wilson, a descendant of pioneer families, was born in Oronoko Township, Berrien County, Michigan, July 26, 1900, the son of George V. and Minnie B. (Ford) Wilson. The family moved to Oregon in 1900. He was educated in Oregon grade schools, Newport High School, University of Oregon (B.A. 1922, M.A. 1923), and Carnegie Institute of Technology (M.S. 1924) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He was employed as an industrial chemist for seven years, and since 1942 has held various positions with the Corps of Engineers.

On June 20, 1953, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson removed to Gallup, New Mexico, continuing Mr. Wilson's employment with the Army Engineers.

On December 21, 1943, he married Miss Alice Thompson of Bend, Oregon. Mr. Wilson has two sons, Ford E, Jr., and Richard G., and two grandchildren, Jeanne L. and Robert A.

Organizations other than the Geological Society of the Oregon Country in which he holds membership include the following:

• Sons of the American Revolution
• American Legion
• Masons
• Mineralogical Society of America
• Oregon Agate and Mineral Society
• Bureau Issues Association
• American Revenue Association
• Oregon Archeological Society

1952

Norris B. Stone

Norris B. Stone was born in Topeka, Kansas, July 3, 1888, later moving with his parents to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he attended grade school and high school.  In 1904 he went to work for Swift & Co. After three years with them, at the age of nineteen, he was transferred from St. Joseph to their new venture in Portland when they purchased the Union Meat Company and the Sun Dial Ranch at Troutdale and Fairview.  He was made head of their by-products department, stationed at Troutdale, and remained with this firm for a total of eighteen years.

At Troutdale Mr. Stone found social conditions most unfavorable for young people, there being three saloons running wide open, and the two local churches closed.  He was instrumental in having one of the churches reopened and a gymnasium organized, to the great improvement of conditions for the teenagers.

During this period, at the age of twenty-one, Mr. Stone joined the Masonic Lodge, and in 1913 was Master of Kenton Blue Lodge No. 15, A.F. & A.M., of Portland, Oregon.  In 1915 he joined the Shrine and was immediately enrolled in the Shrine Chanters, with whom he sang until 1946, serving during the last two years as manager of the Chanters.

In 1921 Mr. Stone resigned from Swift & Company to go into business for himself, handling principally packing-house by-products, including wool, hides, animal feeds, animal fertilizers, etc., in which business he is now engaged. During his connection with Swift & Company Mr. Stone built up their entire by­products departments from nothing to a very appreciable volume by 1921, when he resigned.

Mr. Stone was married to Miss Bessie Briedwell of Amity, Oregon, on May 16, 1909.  Three sons and three daughters were born to them, the two youngest being twin girls.  Bessie Stone died on June 26, 1926. On January 16, 1928, Mr. Stone was married to Miss Clara Love, a member of an old pioneer family and granddaughter of Captain Lewis Love. 

Mr. Stone joined the Geological Society of the Oregon Country in September 1946.

1953

Raymond L. Baldwin

Raymond L. Baldwin was born on a farm near Caldwell, New Jersey, on August 31, 1883. He was graduated from Caldwell High School in 1900.  In 1901-1904 he was ranching in the Pacific Northwest.  In the fall of 1905 he entered Rutgers College, New Jersey, on a scholarship, and was graduated in 1909 with a B.S. degree.  He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  During his senior year at Rutgers he was elected president of the newly formed Agriculture Club.

The next few years were spent in farming and creamery management in New Jersey, New York, and the Pacific Northwest.

While at Rutgers in 1916-1917 working for his M.S. degree he took the Federal examination for the position of Scientific Assistant in Grain Standardization, and received a temporary appointment for field work in the Pacific Northwest.  Later Portland was made his permanent headquarters.

Mr. Baldwin is co-author of two government bulletins, "Cleaning Grain at Thresher with Bates Aspirator" and "Washing Pacific Coast Wheat."

In 1944 he was appointed a member of the Pacific Coast Board of Grain Supervisors, which board has charge, in seven western states, of grading and inspection of all grains for which standards have been established. He retired on June 30, 1948, after thirty-one years of Federal service.

Mr. Baldwin was married on October 12, 1910, to Miss Alberta B. Brillhart of Hayden Lake, Idaho.  She passed away in 1912, leaving him with an infant daughter. On December 31, 1918, he was married to Miss Gladys Durst of Portland. His daughter, her husband and their two children live in Portland.

Mr. Baldwin is a life long Republican and a member of the Presbyterian Church.

He is a charter member of the Geological Society of the Oregon Country.

1954

Albert J. Keen

Albert J. Keen was born in Summertown, Tennessee, on December 17, 1901, and moved to Monroe, Washington, in 1909.  In 1911 he moved to St. Maries, Idaho, where he started to high school. He was graduated from high school in Bremerton, Washington. He attended the University of Idaho in Moscow, and came to Portland in 1922. Here he took extension courses from the University of Oregon in geology, rocks and minerals.

In 1922 Mr. Keen entered the employ of the Burroughs Adding Machine Company at the age of twenty and has served this company continuously ever since.  He now holds the position of field service representative.

While attending the University of Idaho he met Miss Stella Van Riper, to whom he was married in Portland in 1925.  They have one daughter, Carolyn, now Mrs. David Schmidt, and three grandsons - Daniel David and twins Ronald Allen and Randall James.

In addition to the Geological Society of the Oregon Country, Mr. Keen is a member of the Oregon Academy of Science, the Oregon Agate and Mineral Society, of which he was president in 1955, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and a charter member of the Oregon Archaeological Society.

Mr. Keen is a staunch Republican.

On. May 6, 1966, Albert J. Keen and Dr. Ruth Edwina Hopson, Professor of General Science at Portland Extension Division, were married. Dr. Ruth teaches all evening classes. For the past three years Albert Keen is engaged as her full time assistant in the geology and natural history classes. Together they are busily engaged in assembling material on the geology of all National Parks and Monuments in the United states for the class Dr. Ruth teaches and the book that will be forthcoming.