(Courtesy of the National Archives of Canada PA-26889)

George Mercer Dawson (August 1, 1849 – March 2, 1901) was a Canadian scientist and surveyor. Dawson was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia, the son of Sir John William Dawson. By age eleven George was inflicted with tuberculosis of the spine (Pott's Disease) that resulted in a deformed back and stunted his growth. However, his physical limitations did not deter Dawson from becoming one of Canada's greatest scientists. Tutors and his father provided his educational needs during his slow recovery from the illness. Dawson later attended Montreal High School and McGill University (part-time) before moving to London to study geology and paleontology at the Royal School of Mines (now part of Imperial College London) beginning in 1869. Dawson graduated after three years with the highest marks in his class. Dawson received an LL.D. from Queen's University in 1890 and then from McGill University in 1891. Image File history File links George_Mercer_Dawson. ... Image File history File links George_Mercer_Dawson. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Surveying is concerned with the application of mathematics and physics in obtaining accurate measurements for the determination of the position of points on the Earths surface. ... Pictou is a small town on the northern coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in Pictou County. ... Sir John William Dawson, KCMG , FRSC (October 13, 1820 – November 19, 1899), was a Canadian geologist, born in Pictou, Nova Scotia. ... Tuberculous lungs show up on an X-ray image Tuberculosis is an infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system (meningitis), lymphatic system, circulatory system (miliary TB), genitourinary system, bones and joints. ... Potts disease is a presentation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis that affects the spine. ... This article needs cleanup. ... McGill University is a publicly funded, research-intensive, non-denominational, co-educational, international university located in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... The Royal School of Mines in London was formed in 1863 after previously being known as Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts which had been established in 1851. ... Imperial College London is one of the colleges of the University of London and primarily focuses on science and technology. ... 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Legum Doctor (English: Doctor of Laws; abbreviated to LL.D.) In the UK the LL.D. is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of exceptionally insightful and distinctive publications, containing significant and original contributions to the science or study of law. ... Queens University, or simply Queens, is a coeducational, nonsectarian university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, on the edge of Lake Ontario. ...

Dawson performed extensive surveys of Western Canada in the 19th century beginning with the International Boundary Survey from 1872 to 1876. The result was a 387 page report called Geology and Resources of the Region in the Vicinity of the 49th parallel from the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains, with Lists of Plants and Animals Collected, and Notes on the Fossils. This report established Dawson as a respected scientist. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1876 is a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

During 1883 and 1884, Dawson travelled through the Canadian Rockies where he was tasked by the Canadian government to map out major mountains and passes as well as significant rivers. Some of the many peaks he discovered were Mount Assiniboine (3,618m) and Mount Temple (3,543m). As a result of his field research, a map of his work was published in 1886 covering the Canadian Rockies from the US border to Red Deer Valley and Kicking Horse Pass. 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1884 is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar). ... Wilcox Pass The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. ... Mount McKinley in Alaska has one of the largest visible base-to-summit elevation differences anywhere A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... In a range of hills, or especially of mountains, a pass (also gap, notch, col, saddle, bwlch or bealach) is a lower point that allows easier access through the range. ... Mount Assiniboine, also known as Assiniboine Mountain, is a mountain located in eastern British Columbia, Canada. ... Mount Temple is a mountain in Banff National Park of the Canadian Rockies. ... 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... The Kicking Horse Pass (elevation 1627 m) is a mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies near the border between Alberta and British Columbia, and lying within Yoho and Banff National Parks. ...

In 1887, he led an expedition into the Yukon, developing some of the first maps of what later became the separate territory. His report was republished ten years later to satisify the public's interest in the region as a result of the Klondike Gold Rush. Dawson City was named after him. Motto: none Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Jack Cable Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Area 482,443 km² (9th) • Land 474,391 km² • Water 8,052 km² (1. ... A typical gold mining operation, on Bonanza Creek The Klondike Gold Rush was a frenzy of gold rush immigration to and gold prospecting in the Klondike near Dawson City in the Yukon Territory, Canada, after gold was discovered in the late 19th century. ... The Town of the City of Dawson or Dawson City is a town in the Yukon territory of Canada, located at 64°03′45″ N 139°25′50″ W. The current population is approximately 2,000. ...

Dawson became a staff member of the Geological Survey of Canada in 1875, progressed to assistant director in 1883 and finally to director in 1895. The Geological Survey of Canada or GSC is part of the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada. ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Dawson died unexpectedly in Ottawa after a one day bout with acute bronchitis. He was interred in the family plot in the Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal. {{Hide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: {{Unhide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada location. ... Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs, that causes the cilia of the bronchial epithelial cells to stop functioning. ... Mount Royal Cemetery Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a 165-acre (668 000 m²) terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...

References

George Dawson - The Little Giant. Joyce Barkhouse, 1989, Natural Heritage/Natural History Inc., Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-92074-56-X

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• George M. Dawson
• http://www.rootsweb.com/~qcmtl-w/DawsonGeoM.htm