earth science

William Embry Wrather

William Embry Wrather is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand William Embry Wrather rather than just read about it. In short: William Embry Wrather (January 20, 1883 – November 28, 1963) was an American petroleum and economic geologist who served in various administrative roles including as the sixth director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Key takeaways

William Embry Wrather belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect William Embry Wrather to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of William Embry Wrather from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

William Embry Wrather (January 20, 1883 – November 28, 1963) was an American petroleum and economic geologist who served in various administrative roles including as the sixth director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). He was awarded the John Fritz Medal in 1954.

Personal life and education William Embry Wrather was born on January 20, 1883, on a farm near Brandenburg in Meade County, Kentucky. He was the only son of Glovy Washington Wrather (née Munford) and Richard Anslem Wrather. In 1898, William moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he attended South Chicago High School, lived with his uncle, and worked at his grocery store. William began studying law at the University of Chicago in 1903, though professor Rollin D. Salisbury encouraged him to pursue science. Wrather graduated with a Bachelor of Philosophy degree c. 1907 or 1908. In 1910, he married Alice Mildred Dolling, whom he had met in college. The couple had four children, of which two survived to adulthood. Wrather died on November 28, 1963, at his home in Washington, D.C.

Career In the summer of 1907, Wrather served as a field assistant to Frank C. Calkins, geologist of the U.S. Geological Survey, for research in mountainous western Montana. Prior to starting in this position, Calkins had sent Wrather a letter that "[specified] the conditions of his employment and [warned] that the work was rigorous and no nonsense would be tolerated." Wrather also explored other opportunities soon after his graduation. Professor Salisbury had encouraged him to become a geology professor, but the pay was not attractive. Wrather personally wished to return to the USGS, but alas there were no appealing opportunities. Because the automotive industry was flourishing, jobs opened up in the petroleum business. Wrather moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma and did clerical work, but soon found a job as a scout for the Beaumont, Texas–based J. M. Guffey Petroleum Company (later to become part of Gulf Oil). He resigned in 1916 to pursue further opportunities, which included starting a petroleum geology consulting firm in Dallas. In 1918, Wrather suggested to a client that drilling be commenced at Desdemona in Comanche County, Texas. The well proved successful, and Wrather received $750 thousand for his contributions to the discovery. Wrather was a founding member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and served as the association's secretary-treasurer in 1918 and president in 1922. He became a fellow of the Geological Society of America in 1923, and served as the society's vice president in 1936. He was also president of the Society of Economic Geologists in 1934, and of the Texas State Historical Association for seven years in the 1930s. During this time period, Wrather held additional roles in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (treasurer, 1941–1943) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (elected fellow 1925; treasurer, 1941–1945). Upon the retirement of Walter Curran Mendenhall in 1943, the U.S. Geological Survey was looking for a new director. The National Academy of Sciences recommended Wrather to the position, and he was brought in as director of the U.S. Geological Survey. At the time, he was the only director other than Clarence King (the first director) who had been appointed to the position while not employed by the agency. In 1948, while still director of the USGS, Wrather served as president of the American Institute of Mining Engineers. Thomas Brennan Nolan succeeded Wrather as USGS director in 1956. While director in 1948, when Calkins' retirement age came, Wrather summoned him to his office and reminded him of the letter he had written when Wrather was only his assistant. This highlights the enduring relationship that Wrather and Calkins had during their respective careers.

Professional service and memberships 1918: Secretary-treasurer, American Association of Petroleum Geologists 1921: President, American Association of Petroleum Geologists 1923: Fellow, Geological Society of America 1925: Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science 1932–1939: President, Texas State Historical Association 1934: President, Society of Economic Geologists 1936: Vice-president, Geological Society of America 1941–1943: Treasurer, American Academy of Arts and Sciences 1941–1945: Treasurer, American Association for the Advancement of Science 1943–1956: Director, U.S. Geological Survey 1948: President, American Institute of Mining Engineers Lines in italics indicate election to a society.

Awards and honors 1941: Alumni Medal, University of Chicago 1945: Honorary Doctor of Science, Southern Methodist University 1947: Honorary Degree, Colorado School of Mines 1950: Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Kentucky 1952: Honorary Doctor of Science, Montana School of Mines 1954: John Fritz Medal, John Fritz Medal Board 1956: Sidney Powers Memorial Award, American Association of Petroleum Geologists 1950: Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal, American Institute of Mining Engineers 1960: Honorary Membership, American Institute of Mining Engineers

References

External links Wrather profile, U.S. Geological Survey Wrather oil portrait, U.S. Geological Survey Wrather papers, ArchiveGrid Wrather films, Smithsonian Institution

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with William Embry Wrather

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what William Embry Wrather claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to William Embry Wrather before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about William Embry Wrather ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of William Embry Wrather

In research: William Embry Wrather appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses William Embry Wrather in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: William Embry Wrather is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1883 births, 1963 deaths, 20th-century American geologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for William Embry Wrather outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study William Embry Wrather in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what William Embry Wrather means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain William Embry Wrather out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is William Embry Wrather in simple terms?

Why does William Embry Wrather matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study William Embry Wrather?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on William Embry Wrather.