National Medal of Science

Brent Dalrymple Oral History Interview. August 28, 2013The National Medal of Science is a Presidential Award given to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, social, or behavioral sciences.

  • 2003 – Brent Dalrymple, Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
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  • Brent Dalrymple (b. 1937) served as Dean of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University from 1994 to 2001. Prior to his tenure at OSU, Dalrymple was a distinguished geologist with the United States Geological Survey - where he conducted important work on the Earth's magnetic field, among other areas of interest - and a visiting professor at Stanford University's School of Earth Sciences. In 2005 he received the National Medal of Science to honor "his pioneering work in determining the geomagnetic polarity reversal timescale; a discovery that led to the theory of plate tectonics." His interview focuses on the major themes of his career at the USGS and Oregon State.