Thomas Condon
Encyclopedia
Thomas Condon was an Irish
Congregational
minister, geologist
, and paleontologist
who gained recognition for his work in the U.S. state
of Oregon
.
Condon arrived in New York
from Ireland in 1833 and graduated from theological seminary
in 1852, after which he traveled to Oregon by ship. As a minister at The Dalles
, he became interested in the fossils he found in the area. He found fossil seashells on the Crooked River
and fossil camels and other animals along the John Day River
. Many of his discoveries were in the present-day John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
. He corresponded with noted scientists, including Spencer Baird
of the Smithsonian
, Edward Cope
of the Academy of Natural Sciences
, Joseph Leidy
, O.C. Marsh
, and John C. Merriam, and provided specimens to major museums.
Condon was appointed the first State Geologist
for Oregon in 1872. He resigned that post to become first professor of geology at the University of Oregon
. Previously he was a teacher at Pacific University
in Forest Grove
.
In The Two Islands and What Came of Them, a geology book published in 1902, Condon wrote about two widely separated regions of Oregon that contain its oldest rocks, the Klamath Mountains
of the southwest and the Blue Mountains
of the northeast. The book attempted to summarize what was then known about the state's geology and to draw conclusions about its geologic past.
, temporary Lake Condon
, formed periodically by the Missoula Floods
, and the Condon Fossil Collection of the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History
, which was founded by Condon in 1876. Condon, Oregon
, was named for a nephew of Condon.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
minister, 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...
, and paleontologist
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
who gained recognition for his work in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Condon arrived in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
from Ireland in 1833 and graduated from theological seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in 1852, after which he traveled to Oregon by ship. As a minister at The Dalles
The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...
, he became interested in the fossils he found in the area. He found fossil seashells on the Crooked River
Crooked River (Oregon)
The Crooked River is a tributary, long, of the Deschutes River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The river begins at the confluence of South Fork Crooked River and Beaver Creek. Of the two tributaries, the South Fork Crooked River is the larger and is sometimes considered part of the Crooked River proper...
and fossil camels and other animals along the John Day River
John Day River
The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. Undammed along its entire length, the river is the third longest free-flowing river in the conterminous United States. There is extensive use of its waters for irrigation. Its...
. Many of his discoveries were in the present-day John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in Wheeler and Grant counties in east-central Oregon. Located within the John Day River basin and managed by the National Park Service, the park is known for its well-preserved layers of fossil plants and mammals that lived in the...
. He corresponded with noted scientists, including Spencer Baird
Spencer Fullerton Baird
Spencer Fullerton Baird was an American ornithologist, ichthyologist and herpetologist. Starting in 1850 he was assistant-secretary and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C...
of the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, Edward Cope
Edward Drinker Cope
Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
of the Academy of Natural Sciences
Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the New World...
, Joseph Leidy
Joseph Leidy
Joseph Leidy was an American paleontologist.Leidy was professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, and later was a professor of natural history at Swarthmore College. His book Extinct Fauna of Dakota and Nebraska contained many species not previously described and many previously...
, O.C. Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh was an American paleontologist. Marsh was one of the preeminent scientists in the field; the discovery or description of dozens of news species and theories on the origins of birds are among his legacies.Born into a modest family, Marsh was able to afford higher education...
, and John C. Merriam, and provided specimens to major museums.
Condon was appointed the first State Geologist
Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries is the agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for collecting, maintaining and disseminating geologic information, and regulation of industries which exploit the state's geological resources, including gas, oil, and...
for Oregon in 1872. He resigned that post to become first professor of geology at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. Previously he was a teacher at Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
in Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
.
In The Two Islands and What Came of Them, a geology book published in 1902, Condon wrote about two widely separated regions of Oregon that contain its oldest rocks, the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
of the southwest and the Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains (Oregon)
The Blue Mountains are a mountain range in the western United States, located largely in northeastern Oregon and stretching into southeastern Washington...
of the northeast. The book attempted to summarize what was then known about the state's geology and to draw conclusions about its geologic past.
Legacy
Condon Hall at the University of Oregon, which originally housed the geology department, was named for Condon, as were the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center at the Sheep Rock unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, near Dayville, OregonDayville, Oregon
Dayville is a city in Grant County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1913. The population was 138 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
, temporary Lake Condon
Lake Condon
Lake Condon was a temporary lake in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, formed periodically by the Missoula Floods from 15,000 to 13,000 BC....
, formed periodically by the Missoula Floods
Missoula Floods
The Missoula Floods refer to the cataclysmic floods that swept periodically across eastern Washington and down the Columbia River Gorge at the end of the last ice age. The glacial flood events have been researched since the 1920s...
, and the Condon Fossil Collection of the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History
University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History
The University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, commonly known as the UO Natural History Museum, is an American natural history museum at the University of Oregon in Eugene...
, which was founded by Condon in 1876. Condon, Oregon
Condon, Oregon
Condon is a city in Gilliam County, Oregon, United States. The population was 759 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gilliam County. It is located on Oregon Route 19....
, was named for a nephew of Condon.
Works cited
- Clark, Robert D. The Odyssey of Thomas Condon (1989). Portland, Oregon: The Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87595-200-3.
External links
- Notable Oregonians: Thomas Condon from the Oregon Blue BookOregon Blue BookThe Oregon Blue Book is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon copyrighted by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. As Governor Ted Kulongoski notes in his introduction for the 2005–2006 edition, it "provides...
- Thomas Condon profile from the Oregon Cultural Heritage CommissionOregon Cultural Heritage CommissionThe Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission is a non-profit organization based in the U.S. state of Oregon. The commission was formed in 1991 in order to discover and commemorate important literary and cultural contributions to Oregon's history. The group does this through publications and other...
- Thomas Condon biography from the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...