George Malcolm Brown facts for kids

Sir George Malcolm Brown (born October 5, 1925, died March 27, 1997) was a very famous geologist. Geologists are scientists who study the Earth's rocks, minerals, and landforms. Sir George was especially good at studying rocks that formed from melted rock, called igneous rocks. He was so respected that NASA asked him to study the special Moon rock samples brought back by the Apollo 11 mission!

Early Life and Education

George Malcolm Brown was born in a town called Redcar in England. He went to Coatham School. After spending some time in the RAF (Royal Air Force), he started studying geology at Durham University in 1947. He was a brilliant student and graduated with top honors in 1950.

His geology professor, Lawrence Wager, saw how talented George was. When Professor Wager moved to Oxford University, he invited George to come with him as a research student. George's research focused on a special type of rock area in Rhum, Scotland. He earned his advanced degree (called a D.Phil) in 1954.

Studying Rocks Around the World

George Malcolm Brown went on exciting trips to study rocks. He traveled to Greenland to research a famous rock formation there. This led him to receive a special scholarship, called a Harkness Fellowship, which allowed him to study for a year at Princeton University in the United States.

In 1955, he came back to the UK and became a lecturer at Oxford University. He continued his research, looking at igneous rocks in Skye, another part of Scotland.

In 1967, he returned to Durham University as a professor. This made the geology department there even stronger and more famous.

Working with Moon Rocks

While at Durham, Sir George Malcolm Brown received a very special invitation from NASA. They wanted him to study the Moon rock samples that the Apollo 11 astronauts had brought back from the Moon!

There's a funny story about this time. People at Durham University used to tell students that Sir George accidentally left the box of Moon rocks on a train from London! But the real story is that after appearing on a TV show, his train broke down. He had to get a police escort to get the Moon rocks safely to Durham. This led to funny newspaper headlines about how NASA could transport rocks 250,000 miles, but the train couldn't go 14 miles!

His work on these Moon rocks made him famous all over the world.

Leading the British Geological Survey

Like another famous geologist from Durham University, Kingsley Dunham, Sir George Malcolm Brown was chosen to be the director of the British Geological Survey in 1979. This is a very important government organization that studies the geology of Britain.

It was a tough time for the organization, but Sir George successfully led a big move of its main office from London to a new location near Nottingham. This marked a new beginning for the organization, which was then renamed the 'British Geological Survey'.

When he retired in 1985, he was given the special title of Sir for his important contributions.

Awards and Recognition

Sir George Malcolm Brown received many awards and honors for his amazing work.

• In 1975, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
• He also received special degrees from several British universities.
• He was awarded the Murchison Medal from the Geological Society of London, which is a major award for geologists.
• His early work with Professor Lawrence Wager led to a very important book called Layered Igneous Rocks. This book is still used and respected by geologists today.