ABSTRACT
The geology figured importantly in the minds of leaders in the United States (US) was first evident in 1803 when Congress appropriated funds for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's Corps of Discovery. When Congress established the US Geological Survey, it placed the agency in the Interior Department and charged it with classification of public lands, and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the nation. Earth scientists working as college and university faculty members pursued their passion for geology without the benefit of federal support. However, that changed in 1950 when the National Science Foundation was created and scientists across the whole academic community in our country could compete for funds to support their research. The breadth of earth science today is greater than it has ever been; therefore, geology coupled with biology should be regarded logically as one of the most critical areas of science for the twenty-first century.
