Bownocker Distinguished Lecture Series

Bownocker Distinguished Lecture Series

John Adams Bownocker
Professor John Adams Bownocker

John Adams Bownocker was the third Chair of the Ohio State Department of Geology and State Geologist of Ohio (1906-1928), preceded by Edward Orton Sr. and Edward Orton Jr. In his will, Professor Bownocker established the Bownocker Endowment, providing funds to support the lecture series and student scholarships in Earth Sciences. Since its inception in 1937, the Bownocker Lecture series has brought luminaries in theories of evolution, plate tectonics, and climate science to Ohio State. Lecturers give two presentations during their visit; One intended for the general public and another, more technical talk for the School of Earth Sciences faculty and students.

The next Bownocker Lecture is planned for Autumn 2026.

Support the Bownocker Endowment (fund #600679)

Past Bownocker Lecturers

Year    
Lecturer      Year    Lecturer      Year    Lecturer
1937Alfred C. Lane      1967Richard Foster Flint      1997Ian W.D. Dalziel
1938Walter H. Bucher      1968Cesare Emiliani      1998Steven M. Stanley
1939Reginald A. Daly      1969Allan V. Cox      1999George M. Hornberger
1940Charles K. Leith      1970Valter Schytt      2000Wallace S. Broecker
1941Arthur L. Day      1971Preston E. Cloud      2001Robert A. Berner
1942George F. Kay      1972S. Keith Runcorn      2002Lonnie G. Thompson
1943O. D. von Englen      1974Peter J. Wyllie      2003Mary Lou Zoback
1945Max W. Ball      1975John Rodgers      2004Albert A. Gore Jr.
1946George G. Simpson      1976John F. Dewey      2005Andrew H. Knoll
1947Chester R. Longwell      1977Harold Masursky      2006Guust Nolet
1948Hugh D. Miser      1978Robert F. Legget      2007Noel P. James
1950Harold C. Urey      1979Harold Williams      2008James E. Hansen
1951James Gilluly      1980Ursula B. Marvin      2009Derek E.G. Briggs
1952Sidney Paige      1981W. Gary Ernst      2011Roberta Rudnick
1953M. M. Leighton      1982J. William Schopf      2012James Head
1954F. A. Vening-Meinesz      1983Robert L. Folk      2013Louise Kellogg
1956J. Harlen Bretz      1984Kenneth J. Hsu      2014Susan Solomon
1957J. L. Gillson      1985Luna B. Leopold      2015Diane McKnight
1958F. J. Pettijohn      1986Anthony J. Naldrett      2016Lucy Jones
1959Norman D. Newell      1987Hans P. Eugster      2017Kathy Sullivan
1960Philip B. King      1988Digby J. McLaren      2018Kevin Trenberth
1961Alfred S. Romer      1989Paul F. Hoffman      2019John Grotzinger
1962Charles H. Behre, Jr.      1990Albert W. Bally      2020Naomi Oreskes
1963John W. Wells      1991Adolf Seilacher      2022Lindy Elkins-Tanton
1964J. Tuzo Wilson      1992William R. Dickinson      2025Emily Brodsky
1965K. O. Emery      1995  James D. Hays 
1966F. H. T. Rhodes      1996Harrison H. Schmidt