Charles David White (July 1, 1862 – February 7, 1935), who normally went by his middle name, was an American

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

, born in Palmyra, New York. He graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

in 1886, and in 1889 became a member of the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

. Eventually, he rose to be chief geologist. In 1903 he became an associate curator of

paleobotany Paleobotany, which is also spelled as palaeobotany, is the branch of botany dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments (paleogeogr ...

at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

. He wrote numerous papers on geological and paleontological subjects. The David White House, his home for 15 years, is a U.S.

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

. He made one of the most comprehensive studies on the

Glossopteris ''Glossopteris'' tymology: from Ancient Greek γλῶσσα (glôssa, " tongue ") + πτερίς (pterís, " fern ")is the largest and best-known genus of the extinct Permian order of seed ferns known as Glossopteridales (also known as Arberia ...

Flora, the main component of the fossil deposits of mineral coal in Brazil.White, D. (1908) ''Fossil Flora of the Coal Measures of Brazil'', pp. 337-617 + 14 plates IN: White, I.C. (1908) ''"Commissão de Estudos das Minas de Carvão de Pedra do Brazil”'', Final Report, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Part I, p. 1-300 ; Part II, p. 301-617 ilingual report, Portuguese & English (Facsimile edition: 1988) David White won the Thompson Medal in 1931 and the Walcott Medal in 1934. He was president of the

Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchco ...

in 1923. He "himself considered that his structure-carbon ratio for the occurrence of oil and gas was his greatest scientific achievement."

Publications

* ''Flora of the outlying Carboniferous basins of southwestern Missouri''

US Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, an ...

Bulletin No. 98 (1893) * ''Fossil flora of the lower coal measures of Missouri''

Monograph No. 37 (1899) * ''The geology of the Perry Basin in southeastern Maine'' with G.O. Smith.

Professional Paper No. 35 (1905) * ''The effect of oxygen in coal''

Bulletin No. 382 (1909) * ''Shorter contributions to general geology, 1913''

Professional Paper No. 85 (1914) * Reported that the US oil supply as of end of 1918 was 6.74 billion barrels. New York Times, October 7, 1919, page 26. *

References

1862 births 1935 deaths American curators American geologists Cornell University alumni Scientists from Rochester, New York United States Geological Survey personnel Charles Doolittle Walcott Medal winners People from Palmyra, New York Presidents of the Geological Society of America {{Paleontologist-stub