Archives West Finding Aid

Thomas S. Harrison, a prominent geologist in Wyoming and Colorado, was born in Evansville, Indiana, on August 27, 1881. After completing his primary and secondary education, he went on to the University of Indiana for two years. In 1902, Harrison moved to Denver, Colorado, to attend University of Denver. After earning his A.B. degree there in 1904, Harrison entered the Colorado School of Mines. He earned his Engineer of Mines degree in 1908. After graduating from the Colorado School of Mines, Harrison moved to Wyoming and began working as a mineral inspector for the General Land Office in Wyoming. By 1910, he was working as a geologist for the Analapac Oil and Gas Company and the Franco Wyoming Oil Company. In 1914, he worked for the Midwest Refining Company in Casper, Wyoming, as a geologist and, later, as chief geologist. He resigned from that position in 1920. Harrison moved to Denver and became an independent consultant. He remained in that capacity until 1933. He then became an advisory consultant for the Argo Oil Corporation and held that position until he retired in 1956 to Los Angeles. In addition to these jobs, he organized the real estate firm of Harrison and Harrison, Ltd., of which he was president. Harrison remained in Los Angeles until his death on July 5, 1964. Harrison was also an active member of several professional associations. He was a member of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Rocky Mountain Petroleum Pioneers, the Petroleum Club of Denver, the Geological Society of America, and the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers. In addition to these societies, Harrison served on the board of the Colorado School of Mines from 1938 to 1954. Harrison married Ruth Wiley on February 23, 1910, in Cody, Wyoming. They had four children: Thomas S., Jr., Ed N., John W., and Ruth. In 1952, their youngest son John died. John was also a consulting geologist. Harrison was prompted by John’s death to set up the John Wiley Harrison Memorial Award at the University of Wyoming’s Geology Department.