This biography of geologist Charles Doolittle Walcott (1850-1927) documents his career and life from birth to his retirement from the US Geological Survey in 1907, when he became Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

This book recounts the life and achievements of Clarence King, widely recognized as one of America's most gifted intellectuals of the nineteenth century, and a legendary figure in the American West. King led landmark precursory surveys that positioned him to become the founding director of the U.S. Geological Survey, the most important government science agency in the nation.