Geosciences Home | Field Camp Alumni Home

Examining the Lamar Valley volcanics in Yellowstone. Thanks to Russ & Linda Dutcher for the image.  A closeup of the people is below.

Field Camp 1966

Students In 1966 the Geological Sciences Major was changed to include options in Geophysics, Geochemistry-Mineralogy-Petrology, and Geology.  Geology and G-M-P required Geol 470, Introduction to Field Geology, during the academic terms and summer Geol 472, Field Geology.  Thanks to Charles Faust and Dave Owens for the 1966 names.

Faculty
   Russ Dutcher, Duff Gold

Where They Stayed
    YBRA, Red Lodge, Montana

Main Projects
   Elk Basin, Beartooth front, Stillwater, Little Bear Creek, Rosebud, and a Yellowstone trip

In 1966, because of a small number of students, the Princeton-YBRA Field School was combined with the Penn State Field School into a single curriculum of instruction under Russ Dutcher.  Dave Owens remembers that "it was all one class -- we all piled into the same vans together, went on the same itinerary together, did the same exercises together.  The students were mostly Penn Staters, but several students from other universities were there too.  Rice sounds familiar.  I drove back East with a geology student from a small PA college--believe it was Bucknell."

In 1966 Russ Dutcher also began duties as YBRA Camp Manager, with the title formally bestowed in or just before 1972.  He has continued service at YBRA in many capacities until the present day.

Peter D Tillman writes: "I'm an alum of the YBRA field camp in (I'm pretty sure) 1966. I can recall students from Princeton, Penn State, Dartmouth, William & Mary, and one Rice guy (me) in the class.  I definitely recall Russ Dutcher teaching. We had a lot of fun, and learned a lot of geology. Very nice group, students & faculty both.
     I was the driver of MOOSE, one of the ancient Chevy carryalls we used. I recall the truck dying on a weekend -- it needed a distributor part, which we were able to scrounge from an abandoned Chevy pickup I'd noticed in a field on the outskirts of Red Lodge. Lubricated by 25c. glasses of Great Falls Select from the Senate Bar....
     Thanks for the website!  Cheers -- Pete Tillman, BS (Rice) 1968, MS (UNC-CH) 1976, Consulting Geologist, Arizona and New Mexico"

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the images: Thanks to Bob Leeper and Dave Owens for identifying people.

Closeup of the people in the picture at the top of the page, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone Dave Owens 2nd from left, 4th from left (partially hidden) probably David Lindahl, Bob Leeper 6th from left, Mike Roberts 7th from left