Stokes, William Lee, 1915-1994

Dr. William Lee Stokes (1915-1994) was the chairman of the Geology Department at the University of Utah from 1955 to 1968. Stokes' focus of study was geology, mineral deposits, stratigraphy, dinosaurs, creationism vs. evolutionism, and religion's dependance on science. Stokes published seven books and more than 100 journal articles from 1949 through 1994. During his life, he gave many lectures on geology, science and religion, dinosaurs, and earthquakes. His first invited lecture was held at the University of Nebraska in 1970.

Stokes was born in Hiawatha, Utah on March 27, 1915. He entered Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1933. There he studied under George H. Hansen at a time when the BYU Geology Department was a small organization. He was a student assistant for most of his five years at BYU, and earned a bachelor's degree in 1937 and a master's degree in 1938. His masters thesis on stratigraphy in Emery County, Utah, was awarded the Sigma Xi Medal as the best graduate research project for 1938. He married Betty Asenath Curtis on September 7, 1939, with whom he raised a family of four children.

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