Memorial to John Everts Lamar1897-1979

H. B. WILLMAN Illinois State Geological Survey, Champaign, Illinois 61820

John Everts Lam ar was recognized internationally as a geologist and specialist in industrial minerals. For nearly 50 years he provided the people of Illinois, through their State Geological Survey, with informa­tion about the availability and use o f the industrial minerals of the State. After his retirement in 1966, he continued to share his broad knowledge of the geology of Illinois with those who followed in his footsteps, until only a few months before his death in Urbana, Illinois, on August 24, 1979, at the age o f 81.

“ J. E .,” as he was known to associates and friends throughout the country, was an active member in several professional and scientific organizations, in­cluding the Industrial Minerals Division and the Society of Mining Engineers o f the American Institute

of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, the Society o f Economic Geologists, the Illinois Society of Engineers, the American Ceramic Society, Sigma Xi, and the Illinois Academy of Science. He was a charter member of the Geochemical Society and a Fellow of the Geological Society of America.

He received the Hal Williams Hardinge Award of the AIM E in 1971. The citation reads “ For creatively conducting and directing basic and applied research directed to enhancing the utilization and development of industrial minerals, especially those native to the State o f Illinois.” He also received the Distinguished Member Award of the Society of Mining Engineers and a certificate of appreciation for his participation in the development o f plans showing the contribution of science to industrial development at the Chicago W orld’s Fair Centennial Celebration in 1933.

While a student at the University of Chicago in 1918, J. E. taught military mapping to army trainees and, in the summer, was employed by the Illinois State Geological Survey as a field assistant to J Harlen Bretz in mapping the Camp Grant area at Rock­ford, then a major training center o f the U.S. Army. He also worked for the Survey in the summer o f 1919 in a study of limestone for road materials.

On graduating from the University of Chicago with a B.S. degree in 1920, J. E. became a full-time employee of the Survey. Except for teaching one semester at the University of Illinois, he spent the rest of his career with the Survey. He was an associ­ate geologist in charge of nonmetallic mineral studies from 1923 to 1926 when he be­came geologist and head of the Nonfuels Division, which was renamed the Industrial Minerals Division in 1939. The division, later called a section, continued to cover the entire field o f nonfuel minerals until 1945 when clay resources and clay mineral technology were made a separate section.

When J. E. came to the Illinois Geological Survey, it was only 15 years old and had only a small staff o f full-time geologists. During his first few years, he gained experi­ence with a variety of assignments. He was the Survey’s first micropaleontologist, studying ostracodes of the Chesterian shales. He was the Survey’s first petroleum

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engineer, studying sources of drilling muds and corrosion of oil-field well casing and tubing in the mid-1920s. At about the same time, his study of karst topography and sewage disposal in the Alton area was an early entrance of the Survey into the field of engineering geology. He set up the Survey’s first sedimentation laboratory, one of the earlier ones in the country. His field studies during the early years included the exami­nation of limestone and dolomite quarries in northern Illinois and the geologic mapping and stratigraphy of the Carbondale quadrangle in southern Illinois.

Study of the industrial minerals resources in Illinois was certainly a challenge to the young geologist. At least 18 different kinds of rocks and minerals have been used com­mercially in Illinois in 30 or more industries producing products for hundreds of uses. He responded to the challenge through the years with 90 publications. In addition, 127 unpublished manuscripts by J. E. Lamar are on file at the Illinois Geological Sur­vey. His publications are impressive not only in abundance but in the variety of subjects and their lasting usefulness.

Although J. E .’s scientific contributions are largely in the field of economic ge­ology, he also made significant contributions in sedimentation and stratigraphy. He was a very practical person, and in evaluating the merits o f research, he frequently raised the question, “ W hat’s it good for?” which perhaps is the trademark of a dedicated eco­nomic geologist. Nevertheless, he had a basic interest in the origin of sediments, and his economic objectives were reached by sound studies of stratigraphy and petrography.

In the field of stratigraphy, his study of the Carbondale quadrangle in southern Illinois (1925) was particularly rewarding, because the area crossed the southern bound­ary of both the Illinois Coal Basin and the glaciated region as well as the northern margin o f the Shawnee Hills (the Illinois Ozarks). He gave the first detailed description of the entire Chesterian Series in southwestern Illinois and differentiated the principal sandstone and shale formations of the basal Pennsylvanian strata. He made the first detailed map of a segment of the glacial border, showing two outlet channels for glacial drainage across the Shawnee Hills divide to the Ohio River drainage.

In 1930, with Arle Sutton, he made the first detailed study of the Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments at the head of the Mississippi Embayment in extreme southern Illinois.

Many o f his later economic studies made significant stratigraphic contributions, especially to the St. Peter Sandstone, the Mississippian limestones, and the Lafayette gravel.

J. E .’s interests in sedimentary petrology resulted in several papers on equipment and techniques and others on oolite, halloysite clay in Illinois, water soluble salts and clay minerals in limestone and dolomite, and heavy minerals in sands and gravels.

J. E .’s writings in the field o f industrial minerals covered almost the entire range o f their production in Illinois. To make sure he had not overlooked some, he wrote a useful paper on “ Unexploited or little known industrial minerals in Illinois.”

During his lengthy tenure, the value of the industrial minerals produced in Illinois increased from about $62,000,000 in 1923 to $215,000,000 when he retired in 1966. Although the growth was largely in response to expanding industrialization and the growth in population, it was possible because the essential mineral resources, particularly the building materials, were available and basic geologic studies of these resources had anticipated the future needs.

J. E .’s earliest major report, with Frank Krey in 1925, was a large bulletin on the limestone resources of Illinois that described not only the geology and equipment of all quarries operating in the State but many abandoned quarries and outcrops suitable for

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quarry sites. The stratigraphy, physical properties, chemical composition, and potential uses o f the geologic formations are described. Now 55 years old, this bulletin is still frequently referred to not only for its historical significance but as a source of basic data not available elsewhere.

His report on the St. Peter Sandstone in 1928 is a classic—an exceptionally thorough economic study of the silica sand industry in the Ottawa, Illinois, region and the prop­erties favoring its wide use as silica sand in the glass, molding sand, standard testing sand, abrasives, chemical, and many other industries. The basic study strongly sup­ported the marine origin o f the St. Peter Sandstone, which then was controversial.

J. E .’s publication in 1938 describing the many uses o f limestone and dolomite and the chemical and physical specifications o f stone for most uses has been called the finest publication in its field. It has been widely used both nationally and internationally, and the 1961 revision is in a second printing.

He was the senior author of bulletins reporting joint research by the geological and chemical groups of the Survey on rock-wool manufacture (1934) and later on materials for portland cement manufacture (1956).

His last major publication (1967), a handbook on limestone and dolomite for Illinois quarry operators, is a compendium o f geologic, physical, and chemical data based on his familiarity with the questions that quarry operators commonly ask of a geologist, and it is widely used throughout the country.

J. E .’s shorter papers, many with joint authors, include several on extreme south­ern Illinois, particularly on resources o f limestone and dolomite, sandstones, clays and shales, fuller’s earth, and siliceous materials.

His research on limestone and dolomite also resulted in papers on the resources of several parts o f the State, and on high calcium limestone, agricultural limestone, and the shape o f limestone and dolomite fragments produced by crushing.

In the field of clays and shales, J. E. wrote about gumbotil for drilling mud, re­fractory clays, Anna kaolin as a decolorizing agent, shales and clays as m ortar mix, bonding clays for molding sand, oil shales, ceramic tests o f clays and shales, and light­weight brick from clay and peat or shredded corn cobs.

J. E. also wrote papers on resources o f sand and gravel, peat and muck, gypsum and anhydrite. He wrote the articles on “ Stone” and “ Cement Rock” in the 1956 edi­tion of the Encyclopedia Britannica, and the article on “ Sand” in the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia o f Science and Technology.

J. E. instigated and gave general supervision to other projects in the field of in­dustrial minerals. He supervised a study of the mineral resources along the Illinois Waterway during its construction in 1929-1930.

During World War II, he gave general direction to a study o f the fluorspar deposits o f southern Illinois and o f the zinc and lead deposits of northwestern Illinois. Both projects stimulated prospecting and the discovery o f additional ore bodies.

He directed a study o f the soundness o f the Chicago-area dolomite in cooperation with the Civil Engineering Department o f the University o f Illinois and the Materials Testing Laboratory o f the State Highway Department.

He directed the geologic mapping o f the Fluorspar District on the 7 XA -minute quadrangles.

J. E. was dedicated to his service work. He spent much of his time answering requests for technical information in letters and phone calls and in consultations with visitors. Although he organized his office so that many of these requests could be handled with dispatch, some would require a day or more of study and a comprehen­

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sive report. The requests varied from that of a farmer who wanted assurance that there was no valuable cave on his farm before he sold it, to those of industrial leaders looking for sites for new developments. Furthermore, J. E. was aggressive in promoting the results of research. He presented new data in articles for trade journals. He visited the industries throughout the state to call attention to recently published research and to gain the industrial viewpoint on the directions of new research.

J. E. was one of the leaders in developing a series of Mineral Industries Confer­ences sponsored by the Survey in the 1930s. These conferences brought together mineral producers, mining engineers, mineral economists, and geologists for programs on the latest developments in research and production.

Although many of his publications and consultations resulted in the opening of new pits, quarries, and mines, they also indicated many sites waiting their turn for a favorable economic situation. The lack of a far-sighted conservation policy permitted the development of industries and residential areas over many favorable sites, and J. E. noted that the land could have had increased value for other uses after the mineral deposits were extracted.

Many of those who worked under J. E .’s direction at the Survey continued in the field of industrial minerals and in later years spoke highly of their experiences with him. One stated, “ A better and more inspiring leader than J. E. Lamar, by example and by instruction, has never been equaled in this field.” James C. Bradbury followed J. E. as Head of the Industrial Minerals Division. He served with J. E. for many years, and his appreciation of J. E. is expressed in Mining Engineering (v. 31, no. 11, 1979, p. 1626).

John Everts Lamar was born December 6, 1897, at Grand Rapids, Michigan, a son of the Reverend John and Anna Everts Lamar. The family soon moved to Rochester, New York, where he lived until he was 14, when they moved to Chicago. He came to Urbana, Illinois, in 1920 after graduating from the University o f Chicago.

J. E. married Evelyn Charlotte Colburn of M anhattan, Kansas, on July 30, 1929. They had a long, happy marriage. J. E. had played the piano in an orchestra, and the gayety of parties in those days was frequently enhanced by J. E. at the piano. Both were active in community affairs. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary only a month before J. E. died. He is survived by his wife, one daughter (Miriam), Mrs. David R. Popp, of Downey, California, two grandchildren (Catherine and Jeffery), and one sister, Mrs. Harold Hayes of Kankakee, Illinois.

We miss J. E .’s friendliness, his helpfulness, and his good humor. There was always a little pixie in J. E. In reviewing his fine career, we can fully appreciate his dedication to the work o f the Survey and to the advancement o f our science.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF J. E. LAMAR

A more complete bibliography is given in Bibliography and index o f Illinois geology through 1965, Illinois Geological Survey Bulletin 92, 1968.

1922 Notes on the Waterloo anticline: Illinois Academy of Science Transactions, v. 15, p. 398-404.

1923 Use of microscope in the study of subsurface stratigraphy: Illinois Academy of Science Transactions, v. 16, p. 353-358.

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1924 Glacial phenomena in the vicinity of Carbondale, Illinois: Illinois Academy of Science Transactions, v. 17, p. 181-186.

1925 (with Frank Krey) Limestone resources o f Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Bulletin 46, 392 p.

------ Geology and mineral resources of the Carbondale quadrangle: Illinois GeologicalSurvey Bulletin 48, 172 p.

------ Oolite o f the Ste. Genevieve Formation: Illinois Academy of Science Transactions,v. 18, p. 409-413.

1926 Preliminary report on economic mineral resources of Calhoun County: Illinois Geological Survey Report o f Investigations 8, 21 p.

------ Sedimentary analysis o f limestones of the Chester Series: Economic Geology,v. 21, no. 6, p. 578-585.

1927 Limestone for sewage filter beds: Illinois Geological Survey Report of Investigations 12, 21 p.

------ New facts concerning the St. Peter Sandstone of Illinois: Geological Societyof America Bulletin, v. 38, p. 459-468.

1928 (and C. R. Clark) Corrosion in eastern Illinois oil fields: Illinois Geological Survey Illinois Petroleum 15, p. 9-22.

------ Geology and economic resources of the St. Peter Sandstone o f Illinois:Illinois Geological Survey Bulletin 53, 175 p.

------ Karst topography and sanitary engineering at Alton, Illinois: Illinois Academyof Science Transactions, v. 20, p. 261-264.

------ Preliminary report on the fuller’s earth resources of Pulaski County: IllinoisGeological Survey Report of Investigations 15, 31 p.

------ Study of core of Yanaway well No. 33 in the Siggins Pool: Illinois GeologicalSurvey Illinois Petroleum 15, 22 p.

1929 A simple accessory stage for the microscope: Journal o f Paleontology, v. 3, no. 2, p. 185-188.

------ Limestone resources of the Pontiac-Fairbury region: Illinois Geological SurveyReport o f Investigations, 17, 27 p.

1930 Chert gravel as sewage filter stone: Sewage Works Journal, v. 2, no. 4, p. 495-499.

------ (and A. H. Sutton) Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments of Kentucky, Illinois,and Missouri: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 14, no. 7, p. 845-866.

1931 Geology and industrial development o f Illinois non-metallic minerals: Pit and Quarry, v. 22, no. 12, p. 23-30.

------ Mud-fluid materials in eastern Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey IllinoisPetroleum 20, p. 1-7.

------ Refractory clays in Calhoun and Pike Counties, Illinois: Illinois GeologicalSurvey Report of Investigations 22, 43 p.

1933 (with R. J. Piersol and W. H . Voskuil) Anna “ kaolin” as a new decolorizing agent for edible oils: Illinois Geological Survey Report of Investigations 27, 42 p.

1934 (and H. B. Willman, C. F. Fryling, and W. H. Voskuil) Rock wool from Illinois mineral resources: Illinois Geological Survey Bulletin 61, 262 p.

1935 Building stone possibilities of Illinois limestones: Stone, v. 56, no. 6, p. 224-225.1937 (with R. E. Grim and W. F. Bradley) Clay minerals in Illinois limestone and

dolomite: Journal of Geology, v. 45, no. 8, p. 829-843.

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1937 Economic utilization of the Burlington limestone in the Quincy region: Illinois Academy of Science Transactions (1936), v. 29, p. 170-171.

------ (and C. F. Fryling) Heat and sound insulators, in Industrial minerals and rocks:American Institute o f Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, p. 375-388.

------ (and R. E. Grim) Heavy minerals in Illinois sands and gravels o f various ages:Journal o f Sedimentary Petrology, v. 7, no. 2, p. 78-83.

1938 (and H. B. Willman) A summary of the uses of limestone and dolomite:Illinois Geological Survey Report o f Investigations 49, 50 p.

------ (and R. E. Grim and R. M. Grogan) Gumbotil as a potential source of drillingmud, bonding clay, and bleaching clay: Illinois Geological Survey Circular 39,23 p.

------ Unexploited or little known industrial minerals: Illinois Geological SurveyCircular 23, p. 213-232.

1940 (with R. M. Grogan) Agricultural limestone resources o f Cumberland,Effingham, Clay, Richland, and Jasper Counties: Illinois Geological Survey Report of Investigations 65, 44 p.

1942 Halloysite clay in Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Circular 83, 4 p.1943 Agricultural limestone resources of Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Circular 94,

33 p.1945 Weather resistance of Illinois building stones: Illinois Society of Architects

Bulletin, v. 29, p. 1-2.------ (and R. M. Grogan) Illinois surface clays for molding sands: Illinois Geological

Survey Report of Investigations 104, 41 p.1948 Clays and shales o f extreme southern Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Report

o f Investigations 128, 107 p.1949 (and J. S. Machin) Heat and sound insulators, in Industrial minerals and rocks

(second edition): American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers,p. 448-466.

1950 (with D. L. Graf) Petrology o f the Fredonia oolite: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 34, no. 12, p. 2318-2336.

------ Acid etching in the study of limestones and dolomites: Illinois Geological SurveyCircular 156, 47 p.

1951 (and R. R. Reynolds) Notes on the Illinois “ Lafayette” Gravel: Illinois Academy of Science Transactions, v. 44, p. 95-108.

1953 (and R. S. Shrode) Water soluble salts in limestones and dolomites: Economic Geology, v. 48, no. 2, p. 97-112.

------ (with R. S. Shrode) Sands and silts o f extreme southern Illinois: IllinoisGeological Survey Circular 184, 28 p.

------ Siliceous materials o f extreme southern Illinois: Illinois Geological SurveyReport o f Investigations 166, 39 p.

1955 (with D. L. Graf) Properties o f calcium and magnesium carbonates and their bearing on some uses of carbonate rocks in Bateman, A. M., ed., Fiftieth Anniversary Volume Part II: Economic Geology, p. 639-713.

------ (and H. B. Willman) Illinois building stones: Illinois Geological Survey Reportof Investigations 184, 25 p.

------ (with D. L. Biggs) Sandstone resources of extreme southern Illinois: IllinoisGeological Survey Report o f Investigations 188, 21 p.

------ Lightweight brick from clay and peat or shredded corncobs: Illinois GeologicalSurvey Industrial Minerals Notes 2, p. 3-4.

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1956 (and R. S. Shrode) Trace elements and potash in some Illinois gravels: Illinois Geological Survey Industrial Minerals Notes 3, p. 2-3.

------ (and J. S. Machin, W. H. Voskuil, and H. B. Willman) Preliminary report onPortland cement materials in Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Report of Investigations 195, 34 p.

------ (and W. J. Armon, and J. A. Simon) Illinois oil shales: Illinois GeologicalSurvey Circular 208, 22 p.

------ (and K. B. Thomson) Sampling limestone and dolomite deposits for trace andminor elements: Illinois Geological Survey Circular 221, 18 p.

1957 Chemical analyses o f Illinois limestones and dolomites: Illinois Geological Survey Report o f Investigations 200, 33 p.

------ 1. Gypsum and anhydrite; 2. Fluorspar for controlling vanadium staining:Illinois Geological Survey Industrial Minerals Notes 5, p. 1-3.

------ (with D. B. Saxby) Gypsum and anhydrite in Illinois: Illinois GeologicalSurvey Circular 226, 26 p.

1958 (and H. B. Willman) Origin of Illinois sand and gravel deposits: Illinois Geological Survey Industrial Minerals Notes 8, 9 p.

1959 Limestone resources o f extreme southern Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Report of Investigations 211, 81 p.

1960 (with W. A. White) Ceramic tests of Illinois clays and shales: Illinois Geological Survey Circular 303, 72 p.

1961 Uses of limestone and dolomite: Illinois Geological Survey Circular 321, 41 p.1962 (with J. C. Bradbury and M. E. Ostrom) Chemical and physical character of the

Pennsylvanian sandstones in central Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Circular 331, 43 p.

1964 (with G. E. Ekblaw) Sand and gravel resources of northeastern Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Circular 359, 8 p.

1965 Industrial minerals and metals of Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Educational Series 8, 48 p.

1966 High purity limestone in Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Industrial Minerals Notes 27, 20 p.

1967 Handbook on limestone and dolomite for Illinois quarry operators: Illinois Geological Survey Bulletin 91, 119 p.

1968 (with Ralph E. Hunter) A new method of making pebble counts: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 38, no. 1, p. 264-265.

------ (with J. C. Bradbury) Past and present uses o f Illinois Quaternary materials, inThe Quaternary of Illinois: University of Illinois College o f Agriculture Special Publication 14, p. 150-156.

1969 (with Norman C. Hester) Peat and humus in Illinois: Illinois Geological Survey Industrial Minerals Notes 37, 14 p.

1970 (with Paul C. Heigold) Two-dimensional shape of sand made by crushing Illinois limestones o f different textures: Illinois Geological Survey Industrial Minerals Notes 41, 23 p.

Printed in U.S.A. 4 /81