Memorial to Richard Wheatley Lewis, Jr. 1925-1987

GENE E. TOLBERTTolbert and Associates, 6409 Steeple Chase Lane, Manassas, Virginia 22111

JOSÉ R. DE ANDRADE RAMOSFundaçâo Universitâria José Bonifacio, Av. Pasteur, 200, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Dick Lewis died of cancer in a Massachusetts Veterans Hospital on May 22,1987. He is survived by his wife, Lia; two sons, Richard W. Lewis III and Mark S. Lewis; and two daughters, Mary E. Solorzano and Lia L. Ximenez.

Dick was born in Montclair, New Jersey, April 15,1925.He came from a family of remarkably distinguished people: His father was a graduate of MIT in engineering chemistry, and a colonel in the army in World War I. One of his uncles, Isaac Newton Lewis (1858-1931), invented the first portable machine gun, the famous “Lewis gun.” Two other uncles greatly influenced Dick’s career. One was the legendary geologist Bailey Willis (1857-1949), who continued his association with geology and Stanford University until his death at 91. A third uncle was Alfred Hulse Brooks, another famous geologist and geographer; he was one of the first to work on the Lake Superior copper deposits and was a pioneer explorer in northern Alaska. Yet another uncle, Richard H. Ranger, also graduated from MIT and was an inventor. Among his many inventions was the electric organ, and he was responsible for the synchronization of sound with movie films, which earned him an Oscar in 1956.

In 1943, Dick enlisted in the U.S. Army, was assigned to the infantry, and fought in Europe.After graduating from Bowdoin College in Maine (1949) with a degree in chemistry, Dick

studied at Stanford, obtaining an M.S. in economic geology. He joined the U.S. Geological Survey in1951 and was recruited by the Foreign Branch. His first assignment was in Peru, where he worked on precious- and base-metal deposits for six years. During this period he married Rosalia Goytisolo. After his Peruvian experience, he spent another two years at Stanford, where he received a Ph.D. His dissertation was on the geology, mineralogy, and paragenesis of the lead, zinc, and silver deposits of the Castrovirreyna district in Peru. In 1959, the USGS reassigned him to Brazil, where he was to live the rest of his life.

Dick was a pioneer in Brazilian geochemistry. His first job was working on nonferrous metal deposits in collaboration with the Brazilian Department of Mineral Production (DNPM). Much of his time was spent in field work in various parts of Brazil, especially in the state of Bahia, and he became renowned for his contributions to Bahian geology and geochemistry. Some of the first systematic geological mapping by Brazilians was organized and conducted by Dick in Bahia; he and his group published several benchmark maps and reports, especially on the Caraiba copper deposits. He was also responsible for establishing in Bahia the first geochemical laboratory in Brazil. He trained more than 20 Brazilian geochemists; Dick was respected for his knowledge, skill in teaching, and patience in working with younger, less experienced people.

In 1963, Dick organized, planned, and carried out the “Bahia Project.” This involved 32 Brazilian geologists and two chemists, as well as four USGS geologists. The primary objectives were

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quadrangle mapping and mineral resource evaluation in various parts of Bahia. Regional geologic features were defined, more than 1500 mineral occurrences were located, and three metallogenic provinces were delineated. From 1964 to 1970, this project produced 17 reports on various aspects of the work.

At the Brazilian Geological Congress in Salvador in 1969, Dick presented an analytical method for determining phosphate, as part of a geochemical prospecting program in Minas Gerais. In 1970, he presented the results of geochemical prospecting work in northern Bahia, a region of 8000 km2. The results revealed a mafic-ultramafic belt of rocks associated with copper deposits. In 1972, Dick presented a paper at the Brazilian Geological Congress describing a system for computerized organizing and filing of geochemical data. During this period, he resigned from the U.S. Geological Survey and formed a geochemical laboratory and consulting firm in Rio de Janeiro. In 1981, the first geochemical map of the state of Bahia was published. As a consultant for the state of Bahia geological survey, Dick was the prime force behind this project.

During his last three years, Dick served as regional consultant (Brazil) for the Association of Exploration Geochemists. He coordinated a workshop on exploration geochemistry in regions with tropical forests and organized a conference on this subject in Manaus in 1985.

Dick was the American ambassador to Brazil in geochemistry. He had an insatiable thirst for earth science and chemistry. He said that successful geochemical studies needed to be performed by a geologist. His legion of Brazilian friends, as well as those of us elsewhere who had the privilege of working with him and knowing him as a friend, will never forget the inspiration he provided, his incredible knowledge of all natural things, his keen and subtle sense of humor, and his lifelong dedication to helping others and to his family.

Dick Lewis was a member of several professional societies, including the Geological Society of America, American Institute of Mining Engineers, Mineralogical Society of America, Association of Exploration Geochemists, American Geological Institute, Society of Economic Geologists, Inter­national Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, New York Academy of Science, Geological Society of Peru, Brazilian Geological Society, and Brazilian Academy of Science. He was a founder of The Brazilian Geochemical Society, which dedicated its annual meeting to his memory on October 30, 1987, at Porto Alegre.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF R. W. LEWIS, JR.1955 (and Narvaez, S.) Los depósitos minerales de la provincia de Cajatambo: Lima, Peru,

Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Fomento Mineros, Boletín, no. 13, p. 25-43.1956 (and Abele, G.) Geology and ore deposits of the Atococha district, Department of Pasco,

Peru: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 975-E, 52 p.____The geology and ore deposits of Quiruvilca district, Peru: Economic Geology, v. 51,

p. 41-63.____ Geology and mineralogy of the Castrovirreyna mining district, Huancavelica: Sociedad

Geológica del Perù Boletín, t. 30, annales, pt. 1, p. 217-224.1964 Geologia e geoquímica da jazida de cobre de Caraiba, Bahia: Brasil Divisào de Fomento da

Produrlo Mineral, Boletim no. 119, p. 57-58.1965 (and Mattoso, S. Q., and Brim, R.J.P.) Resultados fináis do reconhecimento geoquímico da

regiào do nordeste da Bahia: Rio de Janeiro, Departamento Nacional da Produelo Mineral, Avulso, p. 8-14.

____(and Garrido, J. T.) Resultados preliminares das annalises estatísticas da investigadlogeoquímica do depósitos de cobre de Caraiba, Bahia: Rio de Janeiro, Departamento Nacional da Produgáo Mineral, Avulso, no. 40, p. 28.

MEMORIAL TO RICHARD WHEATLEY LEWIS, JR. 23

1966 (and Santos, J. T.) Relatório preliminar sobre a geoquímica do deposito de cobre de Caraiba, Bahia, Brasil: Rio de Janeiro, Departamento Nacional da Produqäo Mineral, Notas Preliminares, Estudos no. 127, p. 27.

------ A geochemical investigation of the Caraiba copper deposit, Bahia, Brazil: U.S. GeologicalSurvey Professional Paper 550-C, p. 190-196.

------ (with Andrade Ramos, J. R. de, and Távora, F. T.) The Bahia project, its objectives, scopeand organization: U.S. Geological Survey Technical Letter, Brazil Investigations, BR-1,21 p.

1967 Status of the Bahia Project, 1967: U.S. Geological Survey Technical Letter, Brazil Investigations, BR-19,18 p.

1968 (and Cruz, P. R., and Silva, U. R.) Mapa preliminar das ocorrèncias minerais do estado da Bahia, Brasil, in XXII Congresso da Geologia Brasileira, Comunicai; oès: Belo Horizonte, Sociedade Brasileira de Geologia, p. 37-39.

------ Cupriferous ultramafic rocks in Bahia, Brazil, and the problem of their origin: Rio deJaneiro, Academia Brasileira de Ciencias, Anais, no. 40 (suplemento), p. 127.

1969 (and others) Geochemical exploration of the Monte Alto copper deposit, Bahia, Brazil: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 750-C, p. 141-145.

------ (and Cruz, P. R., and Mahrholz, W. W.) Mineral localities of the state of Bahia: Rio deJaneiro, Departamento Nacional da P roduco Minerai, Relatòrio Avulso, 210 p., 3 maps.

------ (and others) Estudos de viabilidada do método de prospecgào geoquímica para fosfatosedimentar em Minas Gerais, in XXIII Congresso da Geologia Brasileira, Comunicalo«: Salvador, Sociedade Brasileira de Geologia, p. 44-45.

1970 (and Mello, V.N.A., and Gongalves, G.N.D.) Status of geochemical prospecting in Brazil [abs.], in International Geochemical Exploration Symposium, 3rd, Program and Abstracts: Toronto, Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, p. 45.

------ (and Mattoso, S. Q., and Brim, R.J.P.) Geochemical reconnaissance of the Curaca Riverbasin, Bahia: U.S. Geological Survey Technical Letter, Brazil Investigations, BR-33,24 p.

1971 Curso de prospecgào geoquímica: U.S. Geological Survey Project Report, Brazil Investigations, BR-44,17 p.

____ Recomenda^oes sobre elementos-traeos a serem usados para levantamentos geoquímicosregionais e suas analises: U.S. Geological Survey Project Report, Brazil Investigations, BR-50, 13 p.

------ Prospecgào geoquímica na zona de falhamento na Sèrie Bambuí, entre Vazante e Januària,Minas Gerais, projeto piloto, determ inalo de métodos: U.S. Geological Survey Project Report, Brazil Investigations, BR-51, 8 p.

------ Investigai;oes geoquímicas em pogos de Caldas, Minas Gerais, para minério de molibdènio:U.S. Geological Survey Project Report, Brazil Investigations, BR-52, 3 p.

------ Preparado de amostras provenientes do Projeto Cobre, Bahia: U.S. Geological SurveyProject Report, Brazil Investigations, BR-53, 3 p.

1972 (and others) P roposito de um sistema para arquivamento e processamento de dados geoquímicos na CPRM, in XXVI Congresso da Geologia Brasileira, Comunicacoès: Belem, Sociedade Brasileira de Geologia, p. 131-132.

------ Recomendagoès e planejamento de levantamento geoquímico na regiäo de Santa Fé, Goiàs:U.S. Geological Survey Project Report, Brazil Investigations, BR-57,13 p.

------ Sugestoés para o planejamento e execugào do projeto piloto para o levantamentogeoquímico do Grupo Bambù! em Minas Gerais: U.S. Geological Survey Project Report, Brazil Investigations, BR-58,15 p.

------ (and others) Reconhecimento geoquímico do rios Aripuani-Sucunduri, Amazonia [abs.], inXXVI Congresso da Geologia Brasileira, Comunicai; oès: Belem, Sociedade Brasileira de Geologia, p. 230.

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1976 Levantamento geoquímico regional da area do Projeto Rochas Básicas, Bahia, in Projeto rochas básicas e ultrabásicas de Vitoria da Conquista, tomo Ila: Salvador, Estado Bahia Secretaria da Minas e Energia, p. 115-162.

1978 (with Rangel, P. de A.) Pros pea; So geoquímica regional por sedimento de corrente na área do Projeto Contendas-Mirante, in XXX Congresso da Geologia Brasileira, Anais, tomo 6: Recife, Sociedade Brasileira de Geologia, p. 2695-2709.

1981 (and Bandeira, C.S.M.) The use of petroleum-well samples a., .¡ata for geochemical prospecting of metals in sedimentary basins: Journal of Geochemical Exploration, v. 15, p. 251-260.

Printed in U.S.A. 3/88