Dr. William Richard Dickinson was a distinguished geoscientist and professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in sedimentary geology and plate tectonics. After earning his B.S. in petroleum engineering from Stanford University in 1952, he completed both his M.S. and Ph.D. in geology at Stanford by 1958, subsequently joining the university's geology faculty where he established himself as a leading figure in the emerging field of plate tectonics. In 1979, Dickinson transitioned to the University of Arizona, where he served as head of the Department of Geosciences from 1986 to 1991 and continued his influential research until his retirement in 1991, though he remained scientifically active for decades thereafter. His early career was shaped by formative experiences exploring the Santa Ynez Mountains on horseback, which ignited his lifelong passion for geological fieldwork and tectonic interpretations.
Dr. Dickinson pioneered the integration of plate tectonics with sedimentary geology, fundamentally transforming how geoscientists understand basin formation and sandstone provenance through his co-development of the Gazzi-Dickinson Method and QFL diagrams for sandstone analysis. His seminal 1970 paper 'Relations of andesites, granites, and derivative sandstones to arc-trench tectonics' provided the systematic framework for linking sedimentary rock composition to tectonic settings, catalyzing a paradigm shift that became foundational to modern basin analysis. Beyond his work on North American geology, Dickinson made groundbreaking contributions to Pacific Oceana studies through his innovative research on potsherds, using geological analysis of pottery fragments to trace ancient human migration patterns across the Pacific Islands. His prolific scholarship established new methodologies that bridged geology with archaeology, significantly advancing our understanding of island geomorphology and sea-level changes in relation to human settlement patterns.
Throughout his career, Dr. Dickinson mentored 84 graduate students at Stanford and Arizona, shaping generations of geoscientists through his rigorous field-based approach and intellectual generosity across Western states and Pacific Islands. His extraordinary scholarly output included over 200 publications, 68 book chapters, 150 abstracts, and work with 255 co-authors, demonstrating his commitment to collaborative scientific advancement. The profound impact of his contributions was recognized through numerous prestigious awards including the Penrose Medal, William H. Twenhofel Medal, and Rip Rapp Award for Archaeological Geology, alongside his election to the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Dickinson's legacy endures through the widespread adoption of his methodologies, the ongoing work of his academic descendants, and his final field expedition to Tonga where he passed away in 2015, exemplifying his lifelong dedication to geological exploration until the very end.
