Ralph J. Roberts

Ralph Jackson Roberts 1911-2007 Ralph J. Roberts, pioneering geologist formerly with the US Geological Survey, died August 10, 2007 in Tacoma, Washington after a short illness. He was 96. He had lived in Tacoma at the Franke Tobey Jones Retirement Estate for the last 14 years, and died there with his family at his side. Ralph was born in Rosalia, Washington, on January 31, 1911, the son of Halcot and Eva (Boozer) Roberts, and grew up in Omak, Washington. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Washington and his PhD from Yale University. He married Arleda Allen on July 25, 1942, in Washington, DC. During World War II they lived in Central America, where Ralph had been sent to discover strategic minerals. After the war they returned to the United States; for the next 40 years he worked in Nevada and Utah, determining the geologic history of major mountain ranges and exploring mineral deposits. He is credited with the discovery of the Carlin Trend, a rich mineral region in Nevada that has been producing gold since the 1960s. In the 1970s he spent six years in Saudi Arabia, mapping ore deposits and contributing to development of the Arabian mining industry. After retiring from the Geological Survey in 1981 Ralph helped found the mineral exploration firm VEK Associates with Victor Kral and Robert Reeves. He also joined Raul Madrid in Conquistador Gold. Both groups discovered several additional major gold deposits in Nevada. For his fundamental contributions to geology and mineral exploration he received several awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the US Department of the Interior and the Medal of Merit from the American Mining Hall of Fame. He had a strong interest in supporting the work of aspiring geologists, and in 1996 endowed a fund for student research fellowships at the University of Nevada. The university worked with the Nevada mining industry, the Nevada Bureau of Mines, and the Geological Survey to create the Ralph J. Roberts Center for Research in Economic Geology at the University of Nevada. In 2002 his autobiography, A Passion for Gold, was published by the University of Nevada Press. Ralph and Arleda had three sons, Michael, Steven and Kim. Steven and Kim both followed in their father's geological footsteps. Steven died in 1977 but Kim continues Ralph's mineral explorations. He lives in Blairsden, California, with his wife Joni Gerbasi. Michael and his wife Sherill live in McMinnville, Oregon. They have two daughters, Rosemary Roberts of Montreal, Quebec, and Amelia Bierly of McMinnville. Arleda died in 1988 after 46 years of marriage. A few years later, Ralph re-established contact with his high school sweetheart, Marjorie Ogden. The two of them lived together at Franke Tobey Jones Retirement Estate in Tacoma and also traveled extensively. After Marjorie's death in 2005, Ralph remained at the Estate, where he continued his active life. Ralph's family is grateful to the staff and residents of Franke Tobey Jones, as well as his many friends and colleagues, for the love and support with which they surrounded him in his last days. Memorial contributions may be made to the Ralph J. Roberts Center for Research in Economic Geology (CREG), Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557.