Ralph Hurd Bond, 1909-1996

Ralph Hurd Bond was born on May 17, 1909 in Worthington, Ohio and was the first-born son of Frank and Blanche Bond. The following year, Ralph's brother and only sibling, Charles Anson, was born into the family. Ralph attended The Ohio State University in Columbus, where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology in 1931 and his Master of Science Degree in Geology in 1937. While attending Ohio State, Ralph was affiliated with Sigma Gamma Epsilon and later became an associate member of Sigma Xi. Following graduation from The Ohio State University, Ralph joined the Soil Conversation Service, which was part of the US Department of Agriculture, as a soil scientist. He spent the early part of his geology career mapping soils in the Dust Bowl areas of Oklahoma and Texas. In 1938, he married Virginia Barker, also of Worthington, Ohio, and she joined him in his travels through Oklahoma and Texas. During this time, two sons were born to Ralph and Virginia; Gerard was born in Altus, Oklahoma in 1940, and Dwain was born in Decatur, Texas in 1942. In 1943, Ralph began his teaching career at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio as Instructor of Geology and later as Assistant Professor of Geology. While teaching at Capital, he also worked for the US Geological Survey and the Ohio Geological Survey, publishing many survey reports and an article on Ohio Shale conodonts for the Ohio Journal Science. In 1947, a third son, Wendell, was born to Ralph and Virginia in Columbus. Two years later, in 1949, Ralph left Capital to take a position as Associate Professor of Geology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas where he taught geology until 1955. Tragedy struck the Bond family in 1950 when Virginia died of brain cancer at the age of 36. Ralph never remarried, and as a single father was dedicated to raising his three sons and teaching them to lead honorable and productive lives. In 1955, Ralph returned to Capital University as Professor of Geology and Head of the Geology Department, positions he held until his retirement in 1972. During this tenure at Capital, Ralph was a member of the Geological Society of America, the Paleontology Society, and was vice president and a fellow of the Ohio Academy of Science. He also received Capital's Praestantia Award for teaching. Upon his retirement Ralph was grated Emeritus status at Capital in 1972. Ralph spent his retirement on his beloved 280-acre "farm" in southeastern Ohio. The final two years of his life were spent in Abilene, Texas, close to his son Dwain. Ralph died of natural causes in Abilene on March 3, 1996.