Kingsley Dunham

Sir Kingsley Charles Dunham (1910-2001) was one of the leading British geologists and mineralogists of the 20th century. He was a Professor of Geology at the University of Durham from 1950-71. He was Professor Emeritus from 1967-2001). He was director of the British Geological Survey from 1967-75.

Dunham was born in Sturminster, Dorset and moved at an early age with his family to Durham. He attended the Durham Johnston Comprehensive School and the University of Durham, graduating with a degree in geology in 1930 at a time when Arthur Holmes was professor. A gifted musician, Dunham was Organ Scholar at Hatfield College during his undergraduate days. Following graduation, he pursued research into the Pennine Orefield of the North of England, under the supervision of Arthur Holmes. He graduated with a PhD in 1932.

Following a brief spell at Harvard University, he returned to the UK as a geologist for the British Geological Survey, working on the iron ores of Cumbria. This came in useful during WW2 where he was involved in the investigation of the mineral resources of the North of England. This work was later published in the classic volume, The Geology of the North Pennine Orefield.

Dunham returned to the University of Durham in 1950 as Professor of Geology at a time when that (and other UK departments) were undergoing a period of rapid expansion. During his tenure he supervised the drilling of the Rookhope borehole, discovering, as predicted the presence of a concealed granite underlying the Pennines. He was created a Fellow of St John's College Durham.

In 1967 his career culminated in accepting the directorship of the British Geological Survey, and like his time at Durham, successfully guided that institution through a period of rapid growth into areas such as geophysics, oceanography and geochemistry. He was knighted in 1972.

Following retirement in 1975, Dunham returned to University of Durham as Emeritus Professor and continued to be an ebullient researcher, publishing further work on the mineralogy of the North of England.

He received many honours. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1955 (and also served on its council) and received the Royal Medal in 1970. He was also President of the Yorkshire Geological Society between 1958-59. He was awarded the Sorby Medal of that Society in 1963. He also received honorary doctorates from than ten universities, at home and abroad. He was awarded the Wollaston Medal of the Geological Society of London in 1976.

In his later years his eyesight failed him until he was totally blind. However he still attended the weekly Durham meetings (aided by his friend and colleague Dr Tony Johnson), held by the Arthur Holmes society.

His son Ansel, who predeceased him, was Professor of Geology at Leicester University.

(source: edited from obituary by Dr G. A. L Johnson; Proc. Yorks. Geol. Soc. 54, (1), 2002)