David Moody Hopkins (1921-2001)

Abstract

David M. Hopkins, a Quaternary geologist widely known for his broad-ranging studies of the Bering Land Bridge region ("Beringia"), passed away at his home in Menlo Park, California, on November 2, 2001. Dave was a longtime member of Alaskan units of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). In search of a deeper understanding of Beringia, he became a pioneer in interdisciplinary research and in collaborative research with Russian investigators. Following his retirement from the USGS in 1985, Dave became director of the Alaskan Quaternary Center and Professor of Quaternary Studies at the Fairbanks campus of the University of Alaska. During the 57 years of his professional career, he was a mentor, friend, and source of inspiration to several generations of Arctic scholars. ... After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor's degree in Geology in 1942, he joined the USGS and began graduate studies at Harvard University. Dave spent his initial field seasons with the USGS in southern regions of Alaska, where he investigated strategic minerals, engineering geology, and other aspects of geology that were considered essential to the ongoing war effort. In 1944, he was inducted into the Army and assigned to carry out meteorological observations at Cold Bay, situated at the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. Following his discharge, Dave resumed graduate studies at Harvard and field work with the USGS. He obtained an M.S. degree in Geology (1948) and a Ph.D. in Quaternary Geology (1955) from Harvard University. In 1947, Dave began geological investigations on the Seward Peninsula under the permafrost program of the USGS Alaska Terrain and Permafrost Section (which later became the Branch of Alaskan Geology). ... In 1948, he initiated a productive collaboration with the botanist Robert Sigafoos. Their seminal publications on the interactions of permafrost, soil, and vegetation on the Seward Peninsula are considered classics today. Dave also began a long-term collaboration with the archeologist Louis Giddings on dating and reconstructing the paleoecology of prehistoric village sites and other early human habitations in northwestern Alaska. ... Dave's investigations of elevated and submerged gold-bearing beaches at Nome during the 1950s initiated his long-lasting interest in the sea-level history of Beringia and the paleoecology of parts of the Bering platform that are submerged today. ... Dave's broadening interests in the paleoecology of Beringia led to increasing contacts with Russian colleagues that developed into a fruitful, 40-year collaboration across the Bering Strait. ... After Dave's retirement from the USGS, he began a second career of teaching and research as Distinguished Professor of Quaternary Studies at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks (UAF). ... As a direct result of Dave's broad-ranging research on the northern Seward Peninsula, the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) set aside much of his former field area as the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. ... Dave's scientific influence encompasses such diverse fields as bedrock geology, marine geology, paleontology, limnology, hydrology, ecology, archeology, and paleoclimatology - the topics of his more than 200 refereed papers and abstracts. Numerous awards and commendations from the USGS and other scientific organizations recognized his contributions. ... During his highly productive career, Dave always found time to advise and encourage younger colleagues and students. ... We shall all miss his warmth, his humor, and his infectious passion for Beringia, but his legacy of inspired research and interdisciplinary scholarship will be enduring. ...