Geology, minerology Prof. Emeritus Goddard died Feb. 1

February 5, 1997
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ANN ARBOR—Edwin Newell Goddard, University of Michigan professor emeritus of geology and mineralogy, died Feb. 1 in Kalamazoo, Mich. He was 92 years old.

An expert on geological mapping and a consultant to NASA’s first manned lunar mission, Goddard taught at the U-M for 24 years. “Eddie was the quintessential field geologist,” said Henry N. Pollack, U-M professor of geological sciences. “He directed the department’s summer field camp for years. More than anything, he loved being out among the rocks.”

Goddard first came to Ann Arbor as an undergraduate in 1923 and subsequently earned three U-M degrees—a B.A. in 1927, M.S. in 1928 and Ph.D. in 1936. He served as an instructor in geology from 1928 to 1930 when he joined the staff of the U.S. Geological Survey where he worked as principal geologist and geological map editor and published several articles on mining districts in the western United States.

In 1949, he returned to U-M as a professor of geology and director of geological field work. Goddard served as chair of the geology department from 1951 to 1956. He retired from U-M in 1970 and moved to California. He was living in Portage, Mich., at the time of his death.

As consultant to the NASA Geology Experiments Team, he was part of a team of geologists who directed astronauts in their geological experiments during the first manned lunar landing and analyzed rock samples collected on the moon.

Goddard was active in many professional organizations including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Geological Society of America, the Mineralogical Society of America, American Geophysical Union, the Michigan Geological Society and Sigma Xi.

Goddard is survived by his wife, Betty Stumm of Portage; three daughters, Patricia Vavrick of Blaine, Wash., Judy Goddard of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Bobbie Lam of Kalamazoo; three stepchildren, Virginia Christensen of Peterborough, N.H., Diana Stumm of Palo Alto, Calif., and Ernie Stumm of Portage, Mich.; and seven grandchildren.

Memorial services and burial have already taken place in Portage. Contributions in Prof. Goddard’s memory may be sent to the Summer Field Camp Fund, c/o Dept. of Geological Sciences, U-M, 2534 C.C. Little Bldg., Ann Arbor, MI 48109- 1063.