Alan E. Marshall *68

Alan Marshall, an Australian geologist, died July 16, 2011, after a long battle with a rare brain disorder. He was 72.

Marshall graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree, and, after a year in mineral exploration, came to Princeton. In 1968, he earned a Ph.D. in geological and geophysical sciences. He returned to Australia and joined Whim Creek Consolidated as an exploration manager. He led Whim Creek in discovering copper and nickel deposits and in developing gold deposits.

Marshall also worked for Getty Oil and Minerals until it withdrew from exploration in Australia in 1985. He then formed Qestor, which provided high-level consulting services to the Western Australian mining industry. (It was renamed Xplore in 2001.)

A gifted field geologist, he solved problems by reading the geology from observations of the landscape. He was an early advocate of the need to adapt exploration techniques to suit the land. He supported academic research, and was successful in applying research findings into practical models and techniques for exploration.

Marshall is survived by his wife, Marie, whom he married in 1976; two sons who also made their careers in geology; and a grandson.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.