William Edmond Logan
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Sir William Edmond Logan (April 20, 1798 – June 22, 1875) was a noted 19th century Canadian geologist.
Logan was born in Montreal, Quebec and studied at the University of Edinburgh. He started teaching himself geology in 1831, when he took over the running of a colliery in Swansea. He produced a geological map of the south Wales coalfield. Based on this research, in 1840 he presented to the Geological Society of London his paper "On the character of the beds of clay lying immediately below the coal-seams of South Wales, and on the occurrence of coal-boulders in the Pennant Grit of that district." This paper suggested his opinion that the layer of clay under the coalfield was the old soil in which grew the plants from which the coal was formed.
His abilities as a geologist were noticed, and in 1842 he was asked to establish the Geological Survey of Canada. He continued as director until 1869. During this time he described the Laurentian rocks of the Laurentian mountains in Canada and of the Adirondacks in the state of New York.
Over his illustrious career he received 22 medals including the Legion of Honor from Emperor Napoleon III of France in 1855 and a knighthood from Queen Victoria of England in 1856. In the same year he was awarded the Wollaston Medal by the Geological Society of London.
After his retirement in 1869 he settled in Pembrokeshire, where he died. He was interred in the churchyard in the village of Cilgerran.
[edit] Posthumous honours
- Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada, was named in his honour.
- The mineral Weloganite, first found in Montreal, Canada, was named in his honour.
- The Geological Association of Canada awards the Logan Medal annually as its highest honour.
