NEWBERRY, John Strong, [1822-1892] -- American geologist

He was born at Windsor, Conn., Dec. 22, 1822; son of Henry and Elizabeth (Strong) Newberry. His first ancestor in America, Thomas Newberry, emigrated from England in 1630, and settled in Quincy, Mass. The family removed to Windsor, Conn., in 1636. His grandfather, Gen. Roger Newberry, was a soldier in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war and a member of the Connecticut land company, which purchased the western reserve of Ohio from the state of Connecticut.

John attended the Western Reserve academy and was graduated from Western Reserve college, Hudson, Ohio, A.B., 1846, A.M., 1849, and from the Cleveland Medical school, M.D., 1848, continuing the study of medicine at Paris, France, 1849-50.

He practised medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, 1850-55, but in May, 1855, he was appointed assistant-surgeon and geologist in Lieutenant Williamson's exploration of the country between San Francisco and the Columbia river. He was geologist of the expedition under Lieut. Joseph C. Ives, ¤ which explored the lower Colorado river, 1857-58, and accompanied the expedition under Capt. J. N. Macomb, which explored the San Juan and upper Colorado rivers, in 1859. In 1861 he was assigned to duty in the war department, but in June he became connected with the sanitary commission and in September was appointed secretary of the western branch of the comission. He directed the sanitary operations in the Mississippi valley and was present at the battle of Chattanooga, Tenn., Nov. 23-25, 1863. He returned to Washington, D.C. 1863, and was connected with the Smithsonian Institution. He was professor of chemistry and natural history at the Columbian university, 1856-57; professor of geology and paleontology at the School of Mines, Columbia college, N.Y., 1866-92, and was made professor emeritus in 1892. He was director of the State geological survey of Ohio, 1869-82, and a member of the Illinois and New Jersey geological surveys. He was married in Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 22, 1848, to Sarah B., daughter of Erastus F. and Lucetta (Cleveland) Gaylord. He was an incorporator of the National Academy of Science; president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in 1867; president of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1867-91, and honorary president, 1891-92. He was also president of the Torrey Botanical club, 1880-90; was an organizer and first vice-president of the Geological Society of North America, and organized the International Congress of Geologists. The Geological Society of London conferred on him the Murchison medal in 1888, in recognition of his paleontological work, and the honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Western Reserve college in 1867. He was an editor of Johnson's Universal Cyclopædia, having charge of geology and paleontology; contributed articles to the "U.S. Geological Survey", and to "Reports of Explorations and Surveys", and is the author of many reports, including: "Report upon the Colorado River of the West, Explored in 1857-58" (1861); "Report of the Exploring Expedition from Santa Fé to the Junction of the Grand and Green Rivers" (1876), and "Final Reports of the State Geological Survey of Ohio" (7 vols., 1869-82).

He died in New Haven, Conn., Dec. 7, 1892. BDNA