History of Alamance County North Carolina United States of America

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Washington Caruthers Kerr Biographical Sketch

Washington Caruthers Kerr, geologist, was born in Alamance county, N.C., May 24, 1827; son of William and Euphence Barret (Doak) Kerr, and a grand nephew of Dr. Samuel Doak . He was graduated from the University of North Carolina, A.B., 1850, A.M., 1852. He taught school in North Carolina and was a professor in Marshall university, Texas. He removed to Cambridge, Mass., where he was a computor in the office of the Nautical Almanac, and studied geology in Harvard college. He was a professor of chemistry, geology and mineralogy in Davidson college, N.C., 1855-61 and in 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate army. He was appointed by the Confederate government to devise methods for manufacturing salt and he superintended its manufacture from the sea water on the coasts of North and South Carolina throughout the civil war. He was state geologist of North Carolina, 1866-82; lecturer on natural history at the University of North Carolina, 1877-81; was a member of the U.S. geological survey, 1882-84, when failing health compelled him to resign the office. He was a member of many scientific societies. He received the degree of Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina in 1879 and that of LL.D. elsewhere. He is the author of numerous reports including Report of the Geological Survey of North Carolina (Vol. I., 1875, Vol. II., 1881). He died in Asheville, N.C., Aug. 9, 1885.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Alamance County North Carolina

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