Mack Gipson, Jr. (September 15, 1931 – March 10, 1995) 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 ...
who became the first
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
man to obtain a Ph.D. in Geology. The first African-American geologist to earn a PhD in the US was
Marguerite Williams
Marguerite Thomas Williams (born Marguerite Thomas; December 24, 1895 – August 17, 1991) was an American geologist. She was the first African American to earn a doctorate in geology in the United States.
Early years and education
Marguerite Th ...
, who earned her degree in 1942. Dr. Gipson's career spanned decades in the petroleum industry as well as decades in academia.
Biography
Gipson was born in
Trenton, South Carolina
Trenton is a town in Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 196 at the 2010 census, down from 226 in 2000.
History
Bettis Academy and Junior College and Marshfield, a historic plantation house with outbuilding and c ...
, on September 15, 1931 and grew up on his grandmother's farm. He persuaded his grandmother to move to
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...
, so that he could complete high school.
Gipson became interested in science when he studied geology in junior high school and read ''The Earth and Life Upon It''.
He studied science and mathematics at nearby
Paine College
Paine College is a private, historically black Methodist college in Augusta, Georgia. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Paine College offers undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts, ...
, financed initially by his mother, who borrowed money to get him started.
Gipson also worked part-time while in college and received his bachelor of science degree in 1953.
Mack was drafted into the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
in June, 1954, and served as a
radio technician
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitt ...
during his service from 1954 to 1956. During this time, he began to consider a career as a geologist because "working outdoors as a field geologist interested him more than being confined to classroom or laboratory".
He went on to attend the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
and received his
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...
degree in 1961. He then began his
Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...
research on the deep
sedimentary rocks
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles t ...
near the central
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
coal field
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
s. Gipson received his Ph.D. from the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
in
Geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...
in 1963.
Throughout his career Gipson worked in a number of different jobs. For example, he served as the director of a special program for high school scientists, a project of the National Science Foundation. He also worked for several oil corporations such as Exxon, ERCO Industries, the Aminoil Company, and Phillips Petroleum.
Gipson started the geology department at Virginia State College (now called
Virginia State University
Virginia State University (VSU or Virginia State) is a public historically Black land-grant university in Ettrick, Virginia. Founded on , Virginia State developed as the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of high ...
). After a decade of working in industry, Gibson returned to teaching in 1986 and joined the faculty of the
University of South Carolina as a professor of geology.
Gipson was the founding advisor of the
National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists (NABGG). in 1980, Gipson hosted a successful Ice Breaker/ Planning Session at his home for geologists of the Houston region looking for a network with other minority professionals in geoscience.
The room was full of geoscience professionals with enthusiasm and energy. This excitement led to a series of meetings and the establishment of the NABGG in 1981.
Through the years, the
NABGG has supported minorities in geosciences and been locally active in schools and professional meetings. The organization’s name was changed to the
National Association of Black Geoscientists (NABG) in 2014.
Research
Gipson’s early research was focused on shale deposits—with specific interest in clay mineralogy and its relationship to shale porosity and burial depths, as well as the development of improved methods for studying clay mineralogy. He was the first to identify large-scale faceted peaks in the equatorial region of Mars from images returned by the
Mariner 9
Mariner 9 (Mariner Mars '71 / Mariner-I) was a robotic spacecraft that contributed greatly to the exploration of Mars and was part of the NASA Mariner program. Mariner 9 was launched toward Mars on May 30, 1971 from LC-36B at Cape Canaveral Air ...
.
His later research was focused mostly on collaborations studying potential petroleum reservoirs.
Honors and awards
Gipson served as a member of the
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
Science Study Group on ''Geological Training and Research in the Republic of Zaire'' in 1972. In the mid 1990s, U. S. Secretary of Energy Hazel B. O'Leary appointed Gipson to the
National Petroleum Council (US)
The National Petroleum Council (NPC) is an American advisory committee representing oil and natural gas industry views to the United States Secretary of Energy.
History
The council was established in 1946 at the request of President Harry S. Tru ...
.
Gipson received many honors during his career. Among other awards, he was honored by
Paine College
Paine College is a private, historically black Methodist college in Augusta, Georgia. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Paine College offers undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts, ...
with the Alumni Achievement Award,
the President's Award, and the Presidential Citation. A teacher for many years, he was recognized as a member of the Outstanding Educators of America.
The School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment of the University of South Carolina offers the Mack Gipson scholarship to students from groups traditionally under-represented in the Geosciences in honor of for Gipson. The academic advising center at
Paine College
Paine College is a private, historically black Methodist college in Augusta, Georgia. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Paine College offers undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts, ...
is named the ''Mack Gipson Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center''.
Personal life
Gipson married Alma Gadison in 1956 after being discharged from the army.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gipson, Mack
1931 births
1995 deaths
American geophysicists
Paine College alumni
University of Chicago alumni
People from Trenton, South Carolina
20th-century American geologists
Scientists from South Carolina
Virginia State University faculty
University of South Carolina faculty
United States Army soldiers
People in the petroleum industry
20th-century African-American scientists