THE MAN IN THE URN: THE STORY OF JOSEPH STANLEY-BROWN AND HIS PIVOTAL, THOUGH QUIET, ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Two bronze urns stand on a pedestal in the Garfield Monument. One contains the ashes of Joseph Stanley-Brown (1858-1941); the other contains those of his spouse Molly (Garfield) Stanley-Brown, daughter of the twentieth president. Joseph Stanley-Brown (Joseph Brown) played a pivotal, though quiet, role in the development of two key geological organizations: the U.S. Geological Survey and the Geological Society of America. The principal documentation of his life is in an unpublished (circa 1930) manuscript and a piquant yet delightful 1941 memorial citation in the GSA Proceedings; many of his papers are in the archives of the Library of Congress.

Brown's grandfather had come to the United States from Great Britain to avoid debtor's prison, using the false name “Brown.” As a young man, Joseph Brown joined John Wesley Powell's expedition to the Rocky Mountains, initially as an unpaid substitute worker. Soon he became a secretary to Powell, who enlisted the help of James Garfield (1831-1888) in the formation of a single, consolidated U.S. Geological Survey. Garfield was an advocate of geological work, but lacked secretarial help. Powell “lent” Stanley-Brown to Garfield, allowing Garfield to work on legislation regarding the Survey, and also resulting in Brown eventually becoming Garfield's permanent secretary. Brown also became a close family friend, attended Garfield's autopsy, and organized Garfield's papers after the president's death. Brown then returned to the field of geology, obtaining a degree from Yale, marrying Molly Garfield, and traveling with her to study in Germany. He also hyphenated his name to regain the link to his grandfather's real name (Stanley). He subsequently worked for the USGS, helped to form the National Geographic Society, and joined a series of corporations, including railways and a Wall Street investment house. Stanley-Brown published several papers, but an even greater service to geology was his volunteer half-century stint as editor of the GSA Bulletin. His financial acumen also served the Society well, as he oversaw the investment of the Penrose bequest, which had a profound effect on the fiscal health of the organization. GSA Council agreed to honor Stanley-Brown's sustained and key contributions to the Society with a special watch, but Stanley-Brown died before it could be presented to him.