Elburt Franklin Osborn was born August 13, 1911, in Kishwaukee, Illinois. He was a graduate of DePauw College, earned a master's degree from Northwestern University, and a doctorate from California Institute of Technology. In 1938, he worked for Geophysical Lab of Carnegie Institute in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the National Defense Research Committee during World War II. Osborn came to Pennsylvania State College as a professor of geochemistry and chairman of the Earth Sciences Department in 1946. He was dean of the College of Mineral Industries from 1952 to 1958, and vice president for research at Pennsylvania State University from 1958 to 1970. He retired from the University with emeritus status in 1970 to become director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines until 1978. He was a senior research fellow at Carnegie Institute from 1978 to 1987. Osborn died at the age of 86 on January 19, 1998, in State College, Pa.
From the description of Elburt F. Osborn papers, 1931-1977. (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 369185151
