Barksdale, Julian D. (Julian Devreau), 1904-1983

Julian Barksdale was born in Texas in 1904. He grew up in Beaumont, site of the first oil well on the Gulf Coast, and came to his academic career via several years' work with oil companies. He attended the University of Texas for two years before going to Stanford to study sedimentary rocks. Barksdale received a B.A. in geology from Stanford in 1930 and then traveled in the service of various oil companies before returning to Stanford for graduate work in petrology. In 1936 he received his Ph.D. from Yale University.

Viewing teaching as an opportunity to try something different in his life, Barksdale took a position in the University of Washington Dept. of Geology in 1936 and remained at the university until his retirement in 1973. He taught graduate and undergraduate courses in addition to leading and organizing fieldwork seminars. From 1969 to 1973, he served as an undergraduate advisor for the department.

Barksdale became the head of the University of Washington Honors Program in 1964. He was active on committees of the Faculty Senate, serving as its president 1960-1961, and he also served on the Faculty Council on Academic Standards, the Library Advisory Committee, and a variety of committees in the College of Arts and Sciences.

After his retirement, Barksdale became involved with retiree and senior citizen's organizations, including the University of Washington Retirement Association, the Coalition of Retired and Higher Education Employees, and the Senior Citizen's Lobby. He died in 1983.

From the guide to the Julian D. Barksdale Papers, 1937-1980, (University of Washington Libraries Special Collections)