Levi Noble: Geologist - His Life and Contributions to Understanding the Geology of Death Valley, the Grand Canyon, and the San Andreas Fault

Wright, Lauren; Troxel, Bennie

Of the many men and women who enriched the human history of the Death Valley region during the 1900s, Levi Fatzinger Noble is the most remembered naturalist. In his field investigations, which began in 1917 and continued off and on for 45 years, he observed and accurately recorded most of the major geologic features of this fascinating part of the Earth’s crust. He is thus frequently called the pioneer geologist of Death Valley. He also is remembered for his studies of Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks of the Grand Canyon and as the first to prepare a detailed geologic map of a large part of Grand Canyon National Park. In addition, he engaged in a long-term investigation of a fifty-mile segment of the San Andreas fault. In so doing he became the first to cite evidence for many miles of horizontal displacement along this major structural feature of western North America. His entire career was spent as a member of the United States Geological Survey. Upon retirement, he received the Interior Department's gold medal for distinguished service. For these geological accomplishments and also for the life-style shared with his loving wife Dorothy, Levi Noble has become a legendary figure. Although a distinguished scientist and semi-reclusive in the latter part of his life, he possessed an endearing quality that caused virtually everyone who knew him, or even knew of him, to refer to him simply as Levi, both in and out of his presence. In what follows we, too, call him Levi where appropriate. Levi was about 5' 8" and slender. He was uncomfortable in the presence of large groups. But from early youth he seems to have consistently lived with the respect of those around him. With persons he knew well, he was relaxed and outgoing, projecting a quiet and graceful assurance that commanded the attention of his listeners. We are fortunate to have been in frequent touch with the Nobles from 1949 until his death in 1964 and then with Dorothy until her death in 1967. Following Levi’s passing, Dorothy entrusted us with most of Levi’s professional effects, including his field notebooks and maps, several hundred photographs, original manuscripts and correspondence. Our presentation here is partly a synthesis gleaned from these sources and from his publications. But, more importantly, we also endeavor to convey our impressions of Levi as a human being who shared his life with Dorothy.