Early Oregon geologist part of fossil bed story.Byline: The Register-Guard TO THE EDITOR: It was nice to see William Sullivan's article and maps on the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument John Day Fossil Beds National Monument National monument, north-central Oregon, U.S. With an area of 14,014 acres (5,676 hectares), it is located along the John Day River (named after a Virginian scout of the 1811 Astor overland expedition). (Oregon Life, May 26). While I'm inspired to take a trip over there soon, I was astonished a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. to find no mention of early Oregon's great geologist and our university's great professor, Thomas Condon Thomas Condon (1822 - 1907) was an Irish Congregational minister, geologist, and paleontologist who gained recognition for his work in the U.S. state of Oregon.[1] . It was Condon who, with the help of some nearby soldiers, discovered this fantastic scientific field in 1865. His continuous discoveries there not only made him famous, but also greatly advanced the scientific understanding of evolution. Most remarkable was that Condon, who was also a Congregationalist con·gre·ga·tion·al·ism n. 1. A type of church government in which each local congregation is self-governing. 2. Congregationalism missionary, managed to reconcile his fossil discoveries with his deep belief in the Bible. For those who desire more than a brief guidebook history, I'd recommend Robert Clark's historical biography, "The Odyssey Odyssey (ŏd`ĭsē): see Homer. Odyssey Homer’s long, narrative poem centered on Odysseus. [Gk. Lit.: Odyssey] See : Epic Odyssey of Thomas Condon," which lists, in its index, 16 separate references to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. DOUGLAS CARD Veneta |
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