Biographical Memoir of John Wesley Powell 



a LibriVox FREE AUDIOBOOK 


This is Volume VIII of the National Academy of Sciences Biographical 
Memoirs series. It is read as 33 sections using the memoir headings. John 
Wesley Powell (1834-1902) was a leading figure in the geological 
explorations of the West and helped establish the federal U.S. Geological 
Survey in 1879. He also led the Bureau of Ethnology and advocated for 
better treatment and study of Native American tribes and culture. He wrote 
a definitive study of the arid western U.S., advocating for thoughtful 
irrigation and land management practices. Powell predicted that water 
rights purchased by corporations, rather than tied to the land, would be a 
major political and environmental issue. John Wesley Powell was a 
scientific frontiersman. His life reveals the energetic working of a vigorous 
and independent personality, full of inspiration, power, and enterprise. He 
was a founder of major scientific organizations, including the National 
Geographic Society, Geological Society of America, and the Cosmos Club. 
Powell lived most of his life in Washington, DC. The memoir was written by 
William Morris Davis (1850-1934) was a prominent professor of geology, 
geography, and meteorology at Harvard and knew Powell personally. 
Summary by Melanie Schleeter McCalmont 

Read by Melanie Schleeter McCalmont. Total running time: 3:40:51 

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Cover picture start of the Grand Canyon Exploration. Copyright expired in U.S., Canada, EU. 
and all countries with author’s life +70 yrs laws. Cover design by Annise. This design is in the 
public domain. 


Biographical Memoir of John Wesley Powell