James Frazier "Jim" Davis passed away on Sept. 30,
2023. He was born in 1931 in Iowa, grew up in Virginia, and learned about
geology at the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He obtained his
geology degree from University of Virginia, and then Masters and PhD from University
of Wisconsin Madison. He joined New York State Geological Survey in 1963, he was
New York State Geologist from 1968 to 1978, where he worked on issues such as the
safety of nuclear power plants. He then became California State Geologist from
1978 to 1987 and 1989 to 2003, with much focus on saving lives through comprehensively improved seismic
mapping, monitoring, and preparedness. He was President of AASG in 1984/1985, he
also was President of AGI, he held many other leadership roles, and he won the Campbell
Medal in 2014, as well as many other honors. He is missed.
