Preston Ercelle Cloud, Jr. (September 26, 1912 - 1991) was an American paleontologist, geographer, and professor. He was best-known for his work on the geologic time scale and the origin of life on Earth. September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... Geographers not only investigate what is where on Earth but also why it is there and not somewhere else. ... A professor is a senior teacher, lecturer and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... The geologic time scale is used by geologists and other scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth. ... Pre-Cambrian stromatolites in the Siyeh Formation, Glacier National Park. ... Earth, also known as the Earth, Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third planet outward from the Sun. ...

Early life

Cloud was born in West Upton, Massachusetts and grew up in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania where he developed a love for the outdoors. Upon graduating from high school, Cloud spent three years in the United States Navy (1930-1933) where he excelled at boxing. Waynesboro is a borough located in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 2004 Armed Forces Amateur Boxing Championships, held in 2003. ...

Higher education

Despite the difficulties of finding employment during the Great Depression, Preston paid for his own first semester at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The Great Depression was a massive global economic recession (or depression) that ran from 1929 to 1941. ... An academic term is the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. ... The George Washington University (GWU) is a private university in Washington, D.C., founded in 1821 as The Columbian College. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the...

An influential figure in Cloud's life was Ray Bassler, a professor and the curator of paleontology at the National Museum. Bassler noticed Cloud's interest in his work, and he arranged for the student to work at the museum. Later on, he worked with G. Arthur Cooper, a paleontologist and stratigrapher. Under Cooper, Preston learned much about fossils, especially those of brachiopods. He worked full-time at the museum, but he graduated in 1938, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. A curator of a cultural heritage institution (e. ... Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, is basically the study of rock layers and layering (stratification). ... A fossil Ammonite Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other traces such as footprints. ... color=pink|name=Brachiopods [[Taxobox_image|image= |caption=Fossil brachiopods Onniella meeki. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... A Bachelor of Science (B.S., B.Sc. ... This article is about academic degrees. ...

Cooper financially allowed for Preston to attend Yale University, which he did. This article is about the institution of higher learning in the United States. ...

External link

• Rock Star Profile: Preston Cloud