1987 President Raymond E. (Andy) Corcoran

I was born in Norfolk, Virginia, where my father was stationed at the Norfolk Naval Base.  It was also where my mother grew up and eventually met my father, so it worked out well for everyone.

1987 - RAYMOND E. (Andy) CORCORAN

In 1931 my father was transferred to the Pacific Fleet (U.S.S. Saratoga) based in Long Beach, California, and I continued to live there until I graduated from college, (U.C.L.A.).

My first job was with Union Oil Co. in their Rocky Mountain Division.  It was very good experience for me because most of California (like Oregon) is Cenozoic geology, whereas most of the Rocky Mountains are underlain by Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks.  In 1951, Union Oil transferred me to their West Texas Division, and after spending six months down there I decided that I wanted to return to the West Coast, I enrolled in graduate school at the Univ. of Oregon , and received my M.S. in geology in 1953.  While in Eugene I had applied to the Oregon Dept. of Geology when Mr. Fay Libbey was Director, and was subsequently offered a job with them when I graduated.

After working for the Department for four years I was offered a position with Harvey Aluminum Co. to direct their bauxite (aluminum ore) exploration program.  Since this would allow me to work in areas of the world I would not otherwise have an opportunity to see, I accepted it.  During the next three and a half years I explored bauxite deposits in Hawaii, Jamaica, and South America (Surinam and British Guiana), as well as here in Oregon and Washington.  It was great fun, but hard on my family life, so I returned to the Department in 1960.  I remained with DOGAMI until 1977, becoming Director and State Geologist in 1969 when Hollis Dole, my predecessor, became Asst. Secretary of the Interior for Minerals.

Seeking new challenges, I accepted a job with the U. S. Bureau of Mines in Washington, D.C. as administrative assistant to the Director overseeing environmental impact of Bureau related mining and metallurgical research.  Three and a half years later, I had had enough of Federal bureaucracy and decided to return to Oregon and go into private consul­ting.  Since 1980 I have been enjoying my "new life" immensely, not the least of which has been to be elected President of the Geological Society of the Oregon Country.

My wife, Jean, and I will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this year.  We have three children, Mike, Rick, and Debbie, all of whom we are inordinately proud.