Robert Bell (geologist)
Encyclopedia
Robert Bell FRSC
MD
(June 3, 1841 – June 17, 1917) was a Canadian
geologist
, professor
and civil servant. He is considered Canada’s greatest exploring scientist, having named over 3,000 geographical features.
, Upper Canada
to Presbyterian
clergy
and amateur geologist, Reverend Andrew Bell
and Elizabeth Notman. In 1873, Bell married Agnes Smith. They had a son and three daughters. He spent his retirement at his home in Ottawa
and his farm in Rathwell, Manitoba
. Bell died at the age of 67 at his farm after a brief illness.
with the Geological Survey of Canada. Even as he started postsecondary education he continued to work summers with the Geographical Survey, heading his own survey party in 1859.
Bell attended McGill University
, Montreal
, and studied under John William Dawson
. In 1861, Bell earned a civil engineering degree with the Governor General’s Medal. He went on the study for two years at the University of Edinburgh
.
. He continued to do fieldwork for the Geographical Survey over the summers. In 1867, he left Queen’s to join the Geographical Survey full-time.
In 1869, the Geographical Survey made Bell a permanent officer. He spent the rest of his career with the Geographical Survey. He has promoted to Assistant Director (1877), Chief Geologist (1890), then Acting Director (1901-1906). He was disappointed in never having been appointed Director of the Survey.
Bell led many extensive explorations in northern Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, the eastern Arctic
, Saskatchewan prairies, and Athabasca oil sands. He is credited with mapping the rivers between Hudson Bay
and Lake Superior
. Bell’s work was appreciated because he collected specimens and made notes on geology, flora and fauna, climate and soil, indigenous populations, and exploitable resources. Survey colleagues dubbed him the father of Canadian place-names because estimates credit him with naming over 3,000 geographical features in Canada. Bell wrote over 200 reports and papers, mostly on geology, biology, geography and ethnology.
In 1878, he earned a medical degree from McGill University
.
In November 1908, Bell officially retired.
On October 28, 1962, some of this collection was damaged or destroyed in a fire in Ottawa. Subsequently the surviving collection was dispersed to family, private collectors, and institutions. The majority went to the National Archives of Canada
.
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(June 3, 1841 – June 17, 1917) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
geologist
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and civil servant. He is considered Canada’s greatest exploring scientist, having named over 3,000 geographical features.
Personal life
Robert Bell was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
to Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
and amateur geologist, Reverend Andrew Bell
Andrew Bell (minister)
Andrew Bell was a Presbyterian minister who was born in London, England, moved to Scotland and emigrated to Upper Canada with his family in 1817....
and Elizabeth Notman. In 1873, Bell married Agnes Smith. They had a son and three daughters. He spent his retirement at his home in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and his farm in Rathwell, Manitoba
Rathwell, Manitoba
Rathwell is an unincorporated urban centre in the province of Manitoba. It is part of the agricultural area of south central Manitoba and is situated in the Rural Municipality of South Norfolk.-References:* *...
. Bell died at the age of 67 at his farm after a brief illness.
Early beginnings
As a 15-year old teenager he worked as a summer assistant to Sir William Edmond LoganWilliam Edmond Logan
Sir William Edmond Logan was a Scottish-Canadian geologist.Logan was born in Montreal, Quebec, and educated at the High School in Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh . He started teaching himself geology in 1831, when he took over the running of a copper works in Swansea. He produced a...
with the Geological Survey of Canada. Even as he started postsecondary education he continued to work summers with the Geographical Survey, heading his own survey party in 1859.
Bell attended McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and studied under John William Dawson
John William Dawson
Sir John William Dawson, CMG, FRS, FRSC , was a Canadian geologist and university administrator.- Life and work :...
. In 1861, Bell earned a civil engineering degree with the Governor General’s Medal. He went on the study for two years at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
.
Career
In 1863, Bell became a chemistry and natural sciences professor adiversity|Queen’s College]], Kingston, OntarioKingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. He continued to do fieldwork for the Geographical Survey over the summers. In 1867, he left Queen’s to join the Geographical Survey full-time.
In 1869, the Geographical Survey made Bell a permanent officer. He spent the rest of his career with the Geographical Survey. He has promoted to Assistant Director (1877), Chief Geologist (1890), then Acting Director (1901-1906). He was disappointed in never having been appointed Director of the Survey.
Bell led many extensive explorations in northern Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, the eastern Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, Saskatchewan prairies, and Athabasca oil sands. He is credited with mapping the rivers between Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
and Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. Bell’s work was appreciated because he collected specimens and made notes on geology, flora and fauna, climate and soil, indigenous populations, and exploitable resources. Survey colleagues dubbed him the father of Canadian place-names because estimates credit him with naming over 3,000 geographical features in Canada. Bell wrote over 200 reports and papers, mostly on geology, biology, geography and ethnology.
In 1878, he earned a medical degree from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
In November 1908, Bell officially retired.
Private library
Bell assembled a private library estimated to contain 26 tons of books and artifacts to support his work over his life. The collection contained rock specimens and hundreds of books on various subjects ranging from natural history texts, medical texts, geological reports, native language and culture texts, and books on the exploration of North America. It also contained research and professional periodicals, several Canadian newspapers and several hundred reprints of scientific and professional reports from other researchers.On October 28, 1962, some of this collection was damaged or destroyed in a fire in Ottawa. Subsequently the surviving collection was dispersed to family, private collectors, and institutions. The majority went to the National Archives of Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
.
Awards
- 1865, elected a fellow of the Geological Society of London
- 1882, elected a charter-member of the Royal Society of Canada
- 1897, elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London
- 1903, made a companion of the Imperial Service OrderImperial Service OrderThe Imperial Service Order was established by King Edward VII in August 1902. It was awarded on retirement to the administration and clerical staff of the Civil Service throughout the British Empire for long and meritorious service. Normally a person must have served for 25 years to become...
- 1906, awarded the King's Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical SocietyThe Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
of London - 1906, awarded the Cullum Geographical MedalCullum Geographical MedalThe Cullum Geographical Medal is one of the oldest awards of the American Geographical Society. It was established in the will of Major General George Washington Cullum , the vice president of the Society, and is awarded "to those who distinguish themselves by geographical discoveries or in the...
of the American Geographical SocietyAmerican Geographical SocietyThe American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
of New York. - received an honorary DSc degree from McGill
- received an honorary DSc degree from Cambridge University
- received an honorary LLD from Queen's University