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Rolland R. Reid remembered
Apr. 1st, 2018 03:26 pmRolland Reid espoused a life-long philosophy: From the Dark I came. To the Dark I return. He came from the Dark in the early winter of 1926, joining his family on a small wheat farm in eastern Washington. He attended his first twelve years of school at Wilbur, Washington. Graduating in 1944 at age 17, he promptly joined the Navy, volunteered for the submarine service, and was accepted.
He completed submarine school at New London, Connecticut, followed by sonar school at San Diego, California. He was then schedules for duty at the US Submarine base at Sumbic Bay Philippine Islands. At the first of August, 1945, he shipped out from San Francisco, California, on a troop transport, one of a group of transports escorted by Navy destroyers. By mid-August, the convoy was in the mid-Pacific; then the bomb was dropped and the war was over. The destroyer escorts returned to Pearl Harbor, and the convoy continued onto the Philippines. Sonar men were no an unneeded surplus at the submarine base.
During the ensuing year and because of his farm background, he led a crew to build a dirt road to the top of the mountain back of the submarine base; the base commander planned to build an officers club up there. The crew used heavy equipment left on the base by the 102nd CB when they shipped back to the US. The road was done before his return stateside in summer, 1946.
Back in the US, and in time for the fall term, he enrolled in geology at Washington State College, under the GI Bill. After a year, he transferred to the University of Washington. In the fall of 1947, he married Eileen Harris of Wilbur. Still under the GI Bill, he continued to the B.S. geology degree. Then he enrolled in the graduate program to work towards the MS degree, supported by a teaching assistantship. In the later part of this program, he spent summer 1952, as a field assistant in a US geological survey project in the southern ST. Elias Mountains of Alaska, part of a survey of the US titanium resources. During routine mapping in mid-August, six of the crew, including Reid, achieved a fist ascent of Mt. Laperouse, a 10,750ft horn at the southern end of the range.
In the fall, 1953, term, he began as an Instructor of geology at the Montana School of Mines, Butte, Montana. After two years, he took up a position f Assistant professor of geology at the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, where he spent the next 42 years. Early during this time and with a year's leave of absence, he qualified for the PhD Geology at the University of Washington. Rising through the ranks at Idaho, he served as Dean, College of Mines (1965-1975). When he became Dean, at the age of 38, he was the youngest person to achieve this rank in the history of the University. He was also listed in Who's Who in America. In 1968, he was listed in World who's who in Science. In 1974, he and his wife divorced.
In spring, 1975, he was called by the Assistant Secretary of the US Department of the Interior for Energy and Minerals, and invited to enter the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary - Energy and Minerals. Arranging for a Leave of Absence from the University, he accepted the post in Washington DC and was sworn in in May. He married Johnnie Sue Baker of Meridian, Mississippi in September, 1975. He continued in the D. of I. job until President Carter entered office after the 1976 election. Then he resigned the post, and was offered an endowed chair at the University of Pittsburgh for energy research and teaching. He declined this offer, being unwilling to give up both geology and life in the west. At Idaho, he taught into the winter and consulted internationally in gold exploration, retiring at age 68.
In early 2014, he and his wife moved to Naples, Florida, where he eventually returned to the Dark March 12, 2018 at the age of 91, and was duly cremated.
He completed submarine school at New London, Connecticut, followed by sonar school at San Diego, California. He was then schedules for duty at the US Submarine base at Sumbic Bay Philippine Islands. At the first of August, 1945, he shipped out from San Francisco, California, on a troop transport, one of a group of transports escorted by Navy destroyers. By mid-August, the convoy was in the mid-Pacific; then the bomb was dropped and the war was over. The destroyer escorts returned to Pearl Harbor, and the convoy continued onto the Philippines. Sonar men were no an unneeded surplus at the submarine base.
During the ensuing year and because of his farm background, he led a crew to build a dirt road to the top of the mountain back of the submarine base; the base commander planned to build an officers club up there. The crew used heavy equipment left on the base by the 102nd CB when they shipped back to the US. The road was done before his return stateside in summer, 1946.
Back in the US, and in time for the fall term, he enrolled in geology at Washington State College, under the GI Bill. After a year, he transferred to the University of Washington. In the fall of 1947, he married Eileen Harris of Wilbur. Still under the GI Bill, he continued to the B.S. geology degree. Then he enrolled in the graduate program to work towards the MS degree, supported by a teaching assistantship. In the later part of this program, he spent summer 1952, as a field assistant in a US geological survey project in the southern ST. Elias Mountains of Alaska, part of a survey of the US titanium resources. During routine mapping in mid-August, six of the crew, including Reid, achieved a fist ascent of Mt. Laperouse, a 10,750ft horn at the southern end of the range.
In the fall, 1953, term, he began as an Instructor of geology at the Montana School of Mines, Butte, Montana. After two years, he took up a position f Assistant professor of geology at the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, where he spent the next 42 years. Early during this time and with a year's leave of absence, he qualified for the PhD Geology at the University of Washington. Rising through the ranks at Idaho, he served as Dean, College of Mines (1965-1975). When he became Dean, at the age of 38, he was the youngest person to achieve this rank in the history of the University. He was also listed in Who's Who in America. In 1968, he was listed in World who's who in Science. In 1974, he and his wife divorced.
In spring, 1975, he was called by the Assistant Secretary of the US Department of the Interior for Energy and Minerals, and invited to enter the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary - Energy and Minerals. Arranging for a Leave of Absence from the University, he accepted the post in Washington DC and was sworn in in May. He married Johnnie Sue Baker of Meridian, Mississippi in September, 1975. He continued in the D. of I. job until President Carter entered office after the 1976 election. Then he resigned the post, and was offered an endowed chair at the University of Pittsburgh for energy research and teaching. He declined this offer, being unwilling to give up both geology and life in the west. At Idaho, he taught into the winter and consulted internationally in gold exploration, retiring at age 68.
In early 2014, he and his wife moved to Naples, Florida, where he eventually returned to the Dark March 12, 2018 at the age of 91, and was duly cremated.
