Talk:J Harlen Bretz

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A fact from J Harlen Bretz appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 7 December 2004. The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that J. Harlan Bretz's theories on the origins of the Channeled Scablands started a forty year debate between neocatastrophist and uniformitarianist geologists?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2004/December.

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This article is written in American English, which has its own spelling conventions (color, defense, traveled) and some terms that are used in it may be different or absent from other varieties of English. According to the relevant style guide, this should not be changed without broad consensus.

outrageous hypothesis[edit]

The articles sates the cause of disbeliefs in his theories is due to: "Tlack of familiarity with the remote areas of the interior Pacific Northwest where the research was based, and the lack of status and reputation of Bretz in the eyes of the largely Ivy League-based geology establishment." Wasn't it also vastly refused merely because it smacked of catastrophism? I remember watching a series on this and even looked it up a little bit a few years ago. Bryanpeterson 16:36, 10 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, yes, in the preceding paragraph it says "This view, which was seen as arguing for a Catastrophic explanation of the geology, was against the prevailing view of uniformitarianism, and Bretz's views were initially discredited." Cheers Geologyguy 18:03, 10 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

In the early '20s the Dept. of Geology at the University of Chicago was one of the most pre-eminent geology departments in the U.S. I would downplay any notion that lack of prestige played a part in the non-acceptance of the mega-flood theory of the formation of the Channeled Scablands. Uniformitarianism was held to be the "theory" (it was actually a dogma, because at that time it could not be proved or verified experimentally) that provided the basis for a scientific study of geology. Hence to abandon it by postulating a mega-flood was serious heresy.

On Bretz's name, he was known to virtually everyone at UC, students and faculty, and to at least some of his family, as "Doc." I was with him on a Tri-State Field trip when a colleague (W. Krumbein) greeted him with, "J-no-period-H-period-Bretz." The most reliable story I heard was that the J was taken by him as a first initial, did not stand for anything, was not an abbreviation, hence should not be followed by a period. J certainly did not stand for Jerry, the NYT to the contrary notwithstanding. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.193.159.66 (talk) 23:22, 15 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, he challenged the prevailing dogma. Each age of science has it's dogmas, our own time too. Chaan (talk) 01:36, 16 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

J or J.[edit]

This article from NOVA states: J Harlen Bretz, whose first name was "J" (no period necessary)... It uses "J" without the period throughout. Shouldn't the redirect at J Harlan Bretz and the article here be reversed, and the article be edited to use "J Harlan Bretz"? -- Kbh3rd 02:49, 6 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Just moved the article - as it is J w/out the period. And also note a geologist named J. Harlan Bretz who worked for the Department of Natural Resources in Missouri and wrote a book: Caves of Missouri, 1956. Different guy methinks :-) Vsmith 15:54, 19 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

As the grandson of J Harlan Bretz, of the Channeled Scablands proposals, may I state that he is the author of 'Caves of Missosuri" as described above. I have a copy that he gave me and as a youth, heard many stories of his explorations of the caves. -- Richard K Riley, rkr@yahoo.com 25 September 2005

OK. I just dug out my copy of Caves of Missouri, and yes it's the same chap - quite an accomplished geologist. Seems Grandpa's name was formally J Harlen Bretz - no period and e intead of a, even though he is known as Harlan by his family. Thanks Richard for the note, I did a bit of spelunking/speleology in the Ozarks back in the early '70s and his book is great. Vsmith 19:53, 25 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And now for a correction of my own. I have always thought it was J HarlAn, but upon going to his "memories" publications, it is really Harlen. Thank you for the opportunity to learn (or re-learn) In fact, he was known by his wife as "Harley." Rkriley 09:05, 11 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]