William H. Tonking ’49 *53

Bill died March 3, 2014, just a month shy of his 88th birthday. He lived in Houston for many years, but his career as a geologist and petroleum expert took him all over the world.

Bill came to Princeton from Valley Forge Military Academy. While on campus, he majored in psychology and was a member of Charter Club, the Orange Key, and Sigma Xi. He returned to Princeton after graduation to study geology, eventually receiving a Ph.D.

After some postdoc work at Northwestern, Bill spent his entire career as a geologist in the mining, oil, and gas industries. His list of accomplishments fills more than three pages, including Project Mohole (an attempt to drill through the Earth’s crust), major assignments in the Republic of China, and other leadership projects. He was named a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London in 1966 and a fellow of the Geological Society of America in 1976, and was a member of the Houston Geological Society, among other groups.

Bill is survived by his wife, Edie; and his two children from a previous marriage, Lisbeth and Randy. The class sends sympathy to them all.