CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF TENNESSEE GEOCONCLAVE: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Tennessee has had two systems with geology programs: the University of Tennessee system (UT Knoxville, UT Martin, and UT Chattanooga) and the recently broken-up Board of Regents (University of Memphis, Austin Peay State University, Tennessee Technological University, Middle Tennessee State University, and East Tennessee State University). Prior to the 1980's, programs rarely interacted due to Tennessee’s elongate shape and the great travel distances, but also because it was the age before cell phones, computers, and e-mail. Geology programs at private institutions (Vanderbilt and Sewanee) generally operated independently of the other two systems. The primary venue for Tennessee undergraduate programs to meet was regional and national GSA meetings; however, smaller programs were often excluded due to the logistics of travel and cost. In 1980, Fall Creek Falls State Park rangers, along with "the founders" from UTK, UTM, TTU, and MTSU proposed a gathering of undergraduate geology clubs e for fellowship and competition to foster communication among programs. They pattered the first" Geological Conclave", later shortened to “Geoconclave”, after forestry programs at UTK. Geoconclave celebrates its 40^th anniversary. APSU became a member in 2000. Each rotates responsibility for organizing the three-day event, which includes morning technical events (rock identification, mineral identification, fossil identification, pace and compass mapping, and geologic map interpretation), afternoon of nontechnical “fun” events (geode rolling and rock hammer throwing, along with a mystery event designed by the host school (“geo-golf”, “geo-twister”)), culminating in the Rock Bowl, considered the most prestigious event, patterned after the General Electric College Bowl television quiz show (1959-1970). The host team generally organizes a field trip the day before Geoconlave, many of which later became part of official SE GSA field trips. Geoconclave remains student-run enterprise with a constitution and funding system. Several current faculty began as undergraduates attending Geoconclave and joint projects have resulted from students and faculty interactions. Geoconclave serves as a recruiting venue for the graduate degree granting institutions in Tennessee.