Robert
B. Hargraves
Robert B. Hargraves *59
1928-2003
Robert B. Hargraves, a member of the Princeton University Geosciences faculty from 1961 to his retirement in 1994, died on March 21, 2003, at age 74, from viral pneumonia brought on by complications from radiation and chemotherapy. He was internationally known for his broad concern with geologic problems dealing with the full span of the 4.5 billion year history of Earth, as well as with other bodies in the solar system. The day before he entered the hospital for his final visit, he was finishing up work on a previously unanticipated type of rock magnetism with major implications for understanding the geological history of Earth, Mars, and the Moon. The broad scope of his work goes back to the start of his career, in South Africa, where the gold and diamond resources provided insights to the origins of some of Earth's oldest rocks.
Hargraves was born on August 11, 1928, in Durban, Natal, South Africa of an American father and South African mother. He received a B.Sc. Hons at Natal University College in Geology and Chemistry in 1948, and began his professional career as a mining geologist in Africa. After moving to the U.S. in 1952 to work for Newmont Mining Corporation, he was drafted for service in the U.S. Army. In 1955, during his service, he married Sybil Sinclair, whom he had known in South Africa. Following his discharge in 1956, he entered graduate school at Princeton.
At Princeton, Hargraves undertook a Ph.D. thesis study of the petrology and paleomagnetism of the ancient igneous rocks and titanium deposits at Allard Lake, Quebec. Following graduation in 1959, he returned to South Africa, to the University of the Witwatersrand. He joined the faculty of Princeton University in 1961. During his long and fruitful career he combined the application of rock magnetism methods with petrology to uncover the origins and history of the rocks of the continental crust. His work took him and his students to many regions of North America, Europe, South America, Africa, and India.
His contributions to extraterrestrial geology came with his recognition of features in the South African Vredefort structure which he early, and controversially, attributed to meteor impact. Over 30 years later, he recognized the same features in the so-called Beaverhead impact feature in Montana/Idaho, and thus discovered one of the largest known impact sites on this planet. He was active in the petrologic analysis of lunar samples from the Apollo landings, many of which resembled the rocks he had studied for his Ph.D. work. He was principal investigator for study of the magnetic properties of Martian rocks on the Viking landing mission (1976) and on the Martian pathfinder mission (1999).
His broad scientific contributions frequently brought him into conflict with conventional wisdom, and he seemed to thrive on the controversies. Perhaps typical were his proposal that the ancient earth was initially entirely covered by ocean, his work showing the relation of the diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes to hotspots in the mantle, and his proposal for how plate tectonics might have worked in the pre Cambrian. He applied skills for the detailed study of individual rock specimens towards finding answers to the major unanswered questions of planetary histories. He authored over 100 articles in the geologic literature. Honors include: NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1977, and Co-winner, Jubilee Medal of the Geological Society of South Africa, 1987.
He is survived by his wife, Sybil, his daughters Monica Jane, Allison Maude, and Colleen Sinclair, and four grandchildren.
Princeton Township.
Robert died at Princeton Medical Center on March 21, 2003, at the age
of 74.
Robert was born and raised in Durban, South Africa, of American and English
parents. He earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in geology
at the University of Natal, in South Africa. From 1953-55 he served in
the U.S. Army. He earned his Ph.D. in geology at Princeton University
and was a member of the faculty from 1961 until his retirement in 1994.
He continued to pursue his scientific interests through active research,
and his love of golf and family filled his leisure time.
Robert’s scientific interests were numerous and varied, including
economic geology, plate tectonics, early Earth history, meteorite impact
structures, and magnetic properties of terrestrial, lunar, and martian
rocks. To his delight, his profession allowed him to explore remote and
interesting spots all over the globe.
His family continues with his wife, Sybil, his daughters Monica, Allison,
and Colleen, three sons-in-law and four grandchildren.
The family will host a gathering in his honor at Prospect House, at Princeton
University, on Friday, March 28 from 3:00 -5:00 p.m.