The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Orton, Edward

ORTON, ôr'tȯn, Edward, American educator and geologist: b. Deposit, N. Y., 9 March 1829; d. Columbus, Ohio, 16 Oct. 1899. He was graduated from Hamilton College in 1848, and later studied at Andover and at Harvard and entered the ministry. In 1856 he took the chair of natural science at the Albany State Normal School, from 1859 to 1865 he was principal of the preparatory academy of Chester, Orange County, N. Y., accepting in the latter year the chair of natural science at Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, where in 1872 he was elected president. In 1873 he was called to the presidency of the newly-founded Ohio State Agricultural and Mechanical College, which has since become the Ohio State University. His university work was of great value, as he was a natural teacher and organizer in addition to his scholastic attainments. He was assistant on the geological survey of Ohio in 1869-77, and in 1882 was appointed State geologist, which position he filled until his death, and he frequently served on, and wrote sections of the reports for, the United States geological surveys. He resigned his presidency of the college in 1881, but continued to fill the chair of geology during his life. In 1896 he was president of the Geological Society of America. Among his works are ‘Economic Geology of Ohio’ (1883-88); ‘Petroleum and Inflammable Gas’ (1887), etc.