Norman D. Newell

Norman Dennis Newell (January 27, 1909 – April 18, 2005) was an American professor of geology at Columbia University, and chairman and curator of invertebrate paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Early life and education Newell was born on January 27, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois, to Virgil Bingham and Nellie Clark Newell. Shortly after he was born, his family moved to Stafford, Kansas. In 1926, he enrolled at the University of Kansas and studied closely under Raymond Moore, who took him on fossil collecting trips. Stephen Jay Gould remarked, "The work of graduate students is part of a mentor's reputation forever, because we trace intellectual lineages in this manner. I was Norman Newell's student, and everything that I ever do, as long as I live, will be read as his legacy."

He also joined the American Museum of Natural History as a curator in 1945, where he would remain until his retirement in 1977.

In 1949, Newell served as the president of the Society for the Study of Evolution, the Paleontological Society in 1960 and 1961, and the Society of Systematic Zoology in 1973.

Newell was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

His numerous awards include accolades from Yale University, the American Geological Institute, and the American Museum of Natural History.

In 1994, the Norman D. Newell Fund was established at the American Museum of Natural History to support paleontological research. 1961: Distinguished Service to Mankind Alumni Award, Kansas University 1965: Hayden Memorial Geological Award, Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences 1966: Verrill Medal, Peabody Museum 1977: Geological Society of Peru Medal 1978: American Museum of Natural History Gold Medal for Achievement in Science 1987: Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award, American Association for the Advancement of Science 1990: Penrose Medal, Geological Society of American 1996: Special Award, American Association of Petroleum Geologists

Personal life and death Newell was twice married. His first marriage was to Valerie Zirkle on February 25, 1928. Newell married Zirkle while an undergraduate at the University of Kansas. Valerie Zirkle died in 1972. His second marriage was to Gillian W. Wormall on April 28, 1973.