Hugh D. Miser

Hugh Dinsmore Miser (December 18, 1884 – August 1, 1969) was an American geologist who had a long and distinguished career with the United States Geological Survey (USGS). He is best known for his extensive work in mapping geological formations across various states, particularly in Arkansas and Oklahoma, and for his significant contributions to mineral deposit investigations critical to the United States during World War II.

Early life and education Hugh Dinsmore Miser was born in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, a village noted for the Battle of Pea Ridge during the American Civil War. He was the third child of Jordan Stanford Miser, a farmer, and Eliza Caroline Webb. His siblings included Dr. Wilson Lee Miser, a mathematician, and Cora Dot Miser, who married Dr. William Boyd Stelzner, a professor of electrical engineering.

Miser's early education took place in Pea Ridge, where he developed an interest in geology, partly due to the influence of a high school science teacher. The university later honored him with an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1949.

Career with the USGS Miser began his career with the USGS in 1907 as a geologic aide and was quickly promoted through the ranks, becoming a junior geologist in 1910, then an associate geologist in 1912, and a full geologist in 1919.

Miser's most notable early work included mapping the geology of the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas and Oklahoma. His expertise extended to the San Juan River in southeastern Utah, where he participated in a grueling expedition to map the river's course from July to October 1921. and the Distinguished Service Award by the United States Department of the Interior in 1955. a cephalopod, Cymoceras miseri, and a graptolite, Dendrograptus miseri.