Udden, Johan August, 1859-1932

Dr. Johan August Udden was born in Lekasa, Sweden, March 19, 1859. He immigrated to America at the age of two with his parents, who settled in Minnesota. He earned a Bachelor's degree in 1881 and a Master of Arts in 1889, both from Augustana College. In 1882 he married Johanna Krinina Davis. Udden taught natural science and civics at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas, and from 1888 to 1911 was professor of natural history and geology at Augustana. Udden was also geologist of The University of Texas Mineral Survey, 1903-1904; geologist of the Illinois Geological Survey, 1906-1911; and special agent of the United States Geological Survey, 1908-1914. He became geologist in the Bureau of Economic Geology and Technology of The University of Texas in 1911 and director in 1915. He was made a member of the Graduate Faculty of the University in 1929. His areas of research included stratigraphic and areal geology, work of the atmosphere, and till in the upper Mississippi River Valley. In 1916 Udden advised the University of Texas of the likely presence of oil and gas on UT lands in Reagan County, leading to the discovery of the Big Lake Oil field. Udden died January 5, 1932.

From the guide to the Johan August Udden Papers 65-116; 65-166; 93-30; 93-324; 94-117., ca. 1886-1938, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)