KENNETH ROLF AALTO Ph.D.

KENNETH ROLF AALTO, PH.D. passed away June 15th, following heart surgery. He was born February 22, 1945, to Johan August Aalto and Helen Dorothy Aalto, both of Finnish ancestry. Ken grew up in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, where his father was chief engineer of the Ashokan Reservoir that fed New York City. With his brother, Fred, he explored the surrounding wilderness, including winter mountaineering expeditions at a young age. Ken acquired a lifelong love of wild terrain and exceptional outdoor skills, earning an Eagle Scout ranking at the age of 13. After attending scout camp for some years, he became camp activities director and counselor, and taught riflery and canoeing. Ken attended Philips Exeter Academy, graduating in 1962. He received a Bachelor of Arts in geology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966, and went on to get a Master's Degree and Doctor of Philosophy in geology from the University of Wisconsin, minoring in the history of science. Ken married Ingeborg Frederica Muller in 1966. They lived in Bogata, Colombia for a year, where Ken taught at the Universidad Nacional, and later in Hamilton, Ontario, where he taught at McMaster University. Melding his outdoor skills and his love of the earth, Ken developed into a exceptional field geologist and stratigrapher. The earth's rocks were history books to him, and he wanted to read every page possible. No spot was too inaccessible or wild. His mapping in the wilds of British Colombia led to a seminal paper postulating the occurrence of a "snowball earth" event, a time in the Precambrian Era (before the existence of most life forms) when the earth froze to the tropics. Received with incredulity at the time, this phenomenon is now accepted. Ken did field research in many provinces of Canada, in South America and in many western states. However, it was after coming to Humboldt State University in 1974, that he found his life's work. The challenge was the Franciscan Formation, the complex, deformed, frequently overturned, poorly understood rock that underlies this area. Ken mapped virtually every exposure from Cape Mendocino to Point St George, even those stretches considered inaccessible, clambering down cliffs like a mountain goat, through briars and thickets of poison oak. He explored extensively further inland, for some years with his young son (now a geology professor) in tow. This work led to important publications about the geology of plate subduction zones, the Franciscan being a global exemplar. Ken received the inaugural Scholar of the Year award from HSU in 1987. He ultimately published over 100 papers and led many conference sessions and field trips. During his 35 years as a professor of geology, Ken mentored generations of students, a significant number of whom went on to graduate degrees. His teaching abilities in the field were legendary, with many HSU students remembering field camp with Ken as their best experience on their path to successful careers. He also had time for those with personal difficulties, always believing in his students' capabilities to succeed. Later in his career, he teamed with a brilliant student, Russell Shapiro, for underwater research on Bahamian stromatolites, an ancient life form. For this he acquired a new field skill: scuba diving. After his retirement, Ken reengaged with the history of geology, especially surveys of the American West in the 1800s. This resulted in many papers, his being selected to be History of Geology Chair of the Geological Society of America, and elected to membership in the International Commission of the History of Geological Sciences, a society, a select international group. In his later years, Ken enjoyed the history of scientific discovery as much as he had his own research. Both his scientific and historical publications were well received, and he made scores of presentations nationally and internationally (Moscow, London, Rio, Beijing,Toyohashi, Cape Town...). Ken had always loved travel, and when he retired, there was no holding him back. With his wife, he walked on glaciers in the Andes, went up the Nile by boat, went on horseback safari on the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania, collected fossils in Morocco, explored Andalusian Spain, followed the Pilgrim's Way in Japan, and trekked on the Annapurna circuit in Nepal, to name a few. He also went on geological trips to Tibet, Iceland and Uzbekistan. Ken was a fan of bluegrass music and played the mandolin with several bands over the years. He was a capable skier and Bridge player. He had a passion for justice and compassion for those who suffered. He demonstrated against the Vietnam War and joined a strike for graduate students' rights at the University of Wisconsin, despite the fact that it jeopardized his degree. When being driven to the hospital for heart surgery, Ken was more upset about the immigrant children who were separated from their families than his own dire situation. Ken was a devoted and enthusiastic husband and father, and leaves behind the grieving but grateful Aalto family: wife of 52 years Frederica, MA; sons Rolf Erhart, PhD and Emilius August, PhD; as well as daughters-in-law Mary Rebecca and Brie Noel, JD and five grandchildren: August Riordan, Tess Elizabeth, Stellan Eugene, Arthur Johan Raymond and Mahon Curran Take. He was predeceased by his son Eugene Arthur. A memorial service will be held at his home on October 2nd and an academic memorial is planned for October 1st. Please sign the guestbook at www.times-standard.com