William L. Stokes *41

William Lee Stokes, professor emeritus of geology at the Univ. of Utah, died Dec. 12, 1994, after a long illness. He was 79. Born in Hiawatha, a coal­mining town in central Utah, he developed an early interest in geology when he found dinosaur fossils while herding the family's cattle.

He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Brigham Young Univ. and got his doctorate at Princeton in geology. Two years later, he married one of his early students, Betty Curtis.

During WWII, he was deferred from military service to pursue deposits of vanadium and uranium in Utah. In 1947, he joined the Univ. of Utah geology faculty, and served as departmental chairman from 1955-58. He was a revered teacher, a prolific researcher and writer, and a devout Mormon. One of his several books is a defense of the compatibility of the Mormon faith with the theory of evolution.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Betty; a son; and two daughters. Two other daughters preceded him in death. To all his family and friends, we extend our deepest sympathies.