Remembering Christopher C. Mathewson

his will be the first AEG Annual Meeting since 1972 that won’t feel the presence of long-time AEG member Chris Mathewson in his Western shirts and bolo ties. At those meetings, he led field trips, gave presentations, and took thousands of photos to share with members in the pages of AEG News. Active in AEG for decades, he was a Past President, Past Executive Director, and was awarded the first AEG Karl and Ruth Terzaghi Outstanding Mentor Award. Those are but a few of many AEG activities and awards he received. His students were exposed to his belief in and importance of giving back to the profession. The way in which Chris did that was by example and by providing opportunities for students. This resulted in active involvement by his former students within AEG, exemplified by the number who became AEG President or held numerous other positions both nationally and at local levels.

Chris demonstrated the importance of service to the entire profession not just within AEG. He was active in the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) as a member of its Council of Examiners, participating in the development, construction, and review of licensure examinations for geologists—sometimes attending its Council of Examiners Workshops at his own cost. Chris was also a past president of the American Geological Institute. Through all those endeavors and more, Chris carried the AEG “banner.”

Words from Dr. Chris’ Students and Friends

Dr. Mathewson complimented me after my research led to several master’s theses by saying it was fitting for a PhD student to define a topic on the easy alluvial fan terrain at the foot of the Wasatch Range in Utah and leave the topics on steep mountain slopes to the master’s students. – Jeff Keaton

TChris Mathewson had a remarkable passion for teaching engineering geology and how it could be used in real world applications. – James May Remembering Christopher C. Mathewson During my 45 years of Active AEG membership, I can think of few, if any, others who contributed more to the success of AEG and to the profession of Engineering and Environmental Geology than did Chris Mathewson. – Rex Upp

Chris Mathewson with AEG Past President Cynthia Palomares Dr. Chris in his Texas formal wear at a Past Presidents’ recption at one of our Annual Meetings. Continue Dr. Chris’ Photographic Legacy

You’ve likely spotted the “AEG News Wants Your Meeting Photos” notices sprinkled throughout this Program with Abstracts. The loss of Chris Mathewson at our meeting is one of the reasons we’re making such a big push for your photos. AEG News had come to rely on Chris to provide us with the majority of shots that we used to recap the Annual Meeting in the December issue each year. Without him, our pages may be very slim. So, we once again appeal to everyone who attends to send us a few of your very best shots for consideration. We’re looking for variety of people and events to highlight the diversity of our membership and the offerings of our meeting. The shots can be posed or candid—just be sure folks know they are being photographed for inclusion in The News.

Be sure to follow these important specifications:

• Photos should be 300dpi at 3.6” wide (approximately 1110 pixels) or larger. • Rename your file so it is obvious. Example: Jones–Field Course#1-a.jpg • In the email, include Your Name as you’d like it printed for Dr. Chris with James May, Linda Upp, and Rex Upp at a past Annual the photo credit, and, Meeting. • Include a brief caption with people’s names (if there are less than three or four) or a brief description. We can’t guarantee that every submission will be included, but we will definitely consider every image that meets the above criteria. Submit your photos to AEG News Acquisitions Editor Martha Whitney at news@aegweb.org.