President’s Letter

By Rob Diedrich

Cheers to 100 Years!

In December 1921, seven geologists gathered to discuss the formation of a geological association in Denver. They agreed that a meeting should be called, and on January 26th of 1922, fifty geologists met at the Albany Hotel in downtown Denver for what was the first official meeting of a new organization called the Rocky Mountain Association of Petroleum Geologists. And here we are, 100 years later, still gathering at luncheon meetings, conferences, and field trips in the spirit of our founding fathers.

I am most honored and excited to serve as RMAG’s president in the centennial year of our association. 2022 will be a special year for RMAG and there is much to look forward to. We are planning a festive celebration for this summer to commemorate our anniversary. Many members are working on special Outcrop articles and Mountain Geologist publications that will reflect on our association’s rich history. Please see "RMAG Centennial Part 1: The Early Years (1922-1947)" in this issue and watch for similar pieces in the months ahead.

So, what is in store for RMAG during its next 100 years? Can you even imagine what our association will look like when the bicentennial is celebrated in 2122? RMAG has traditionally been a society of members who work or have worked in oil and gas exploration and development. In fact, a 1924 card mailed to notify RMAG members of upcoming meetings stated, “meetings are open to all persons interested in the petroleum industry.” Today’s RMAG will continue to serve our members who work in the oil and gas industry by offering short courses, symposiums and seminars that provide continuing education and growth opportunities for petroleum geoscientists and engineers.

However, for the RMAG of the future, a vision that many of us share is one of a more diverse organization with respect to geoscience professions. We currently have members who are career professionals in mining, environmental geology and hydrogeology. Presentations made in the Members in Transition Program provided other examples of burgeoning industries that rely on geoscientists such as CO2 sequestration and geothermal. What services can RMAG provide to members who work in these industries and how can we grow this part of our membership? We will be working on a strategic plan for RMAG’s future, and we invite you to share your ideas about how RMAG can expand our support to a broader geoscience community.

As for 2022, all RMAG committees are working diligently, and you can expect to see a robust lineup of lunch presentations, short courses and field trips with a broad range of appeal. RMAG is also the host society for the 2022 Rocky Mountain Section AAPG meeting, to be held in Denver from July 24th to 27th. The call for papers is out for a wide range of topics related to geology energy resources. Also debuting in this month’s Outcrop is a Member Profile column where you can learn more about some of our amazing RMAG volunteers.

Additionally, as part of our centennial, I will be sharing anecdotes about RMAG’s history in my monthly letters. So here is the first: The original name of our organization, as noted above, was the Rocky Mountain Association of Petroleum Geologists. In 1947 the first constitution and bylaws were adopted, and the name was changed to the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, removing the word petroleum, and broadening the geoscience perspective of the association.

I’d like to give a special shout-out to our officers who are leaving the RMAG Board: Peter Kubik, Rebecca Johnson Scrable, Jessica Davey, Nate Rogers and especially president, Cat Campbell, who has left some very large shoes (and a dinosaur costume or two) to fill. Thank you all for your leadership, hard work and devoted service to RMAG. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to our 2021 Summit Sponsors. Your financial assistance provided vital funding for RMAG programs, and we are so grateful for your support.

Finally, on Wednesday January 26th , remember to raise a glass to toast the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists on an extraordinary 100 years. Congratulations R-M-A-G!