THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GEOMORPHOLOGIST MARIE MORISAWA

Marie Morisawa (1919-1994) is arguably one of the most notable geomorphologists of the twentieth century. Her many accomplishments include working with Donald Coates to establish the renowned Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium; founding and serving as the first editor of the journal Geomorphology; authoring eight books and numerous scientific articles and reports; advocating quantitative and applied environmental geomorphology; and mentoring a large number of students. Her research interests spanned fluvial, coastal, tectonic, and volcanic geomorphology as well as geologic hazards and environmental studies. She was the first woman chair of the GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology division, which in 2006 established the Marie Morisawa Award in support of women graduate students.

As a Japanese-American woman who earned her bachelor’s degree in the spring of 1941, Morisawa, who was born in Toledo and later moved with her family New York City, experienced considerable discrimination. She kept a low profile during the war years focusing on religious studies and education. After the war she worked as a geology lab technician at Hunter College for four years. She eventually applied to numerous geology graduate programs in the western U.S., being accepted only by the University of Wyoming. Jobs in geology for women were extremely scarce at that time; Morisawa was not allowed in mines and could only be hired by the USGS as a secretary. She eventually received her Ph.D., at age 41, from Columbia University under the mentorship of Arthur Strahler while working as a geology lab instructor at Bryn Mawr, and then as an assistant professor in Montana. Morisawa taught at Antioch College for six years before moving to SUNY Binghamton in 1970, where she spent the rest of her career and made most of her many professional contributions.