William H. Keating

1799–1840 (age 41)

Chemist/Geologist

Biography

William H. Keating, born in 1799, merged his training in chemistry with an adventurous curiosity about the Earth's formation, chronicling expeditions to the Rocky Mountains and the Great Lakes.

His reports brought geological understanding to the people of Philadelphia and beyond, helping them see the new nation as a landscape shaped by deep time.