Don L. Anderson

Class of 1955
Deep-Earth Researcher
1933-

As one of the world’s most prominent researchers in the geosciences, Don Anderson epitomizes a tradition of outstanding geologists associated with Rensselaer. He is acknowledged as a fundamental contributor to our understanding of the structures and processes in the interior of the Earth. In 1998 Anderson received one of the highest honors bestowed on a scientist, the Crafoord Prize, which is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for disciplines not covered by the Nobel Prizes. Anderson is professor emeritus of geophysics at the California Institute of Technology, where he was director of the Seismological Laboratory from 1967 to 1989. In 1989 he published Theory of the Earth, a synthesis of his broad and provocative research and a guide for future exploration of the dynamics of the deep parts of the Earth. Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, Anderson was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Bill Clinton in 1999.