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ROCK STARS
Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden:

150 Years after Yellowstone

Jacob O. Thacker, New Mexico Bureau of Geology, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA

(Foster, 1994). Out of 40 students admitted in 1846, he was one
of only 13 to graduate. In September 1850 he enrolled in Oberlin’s
Theological Department, but to earn money he taught at schools
around northeast Ohio.

MEDICINE AND THE MISSOURI HEADWATERS
From 1851 to 1853, Hayden lived in Cleveland, Ohio, where he
studied medicine and learned geology from Jared Potter Kirtland
and John Strong Newberry. Through Kirtland and Newberry,
Hayden became acquainted with numerous scientists of the day,
and his desire to conduct field studies was born. “I feel as though
I could endure cheerfully any amount of toil, hardship, and self
denial provided I could gratify my strong desire to labor in the
field as a Naturalist,” he wrote Spencer Baird, Assistant Secretary
of the Smithsonian Institution, in February 1853. “But I am poor,”
he continued, “…every longing desire to engage in that most
Figure 1: Hayden portrait, 1859. 1
E.R. Morgan photo, National Por- delightful of pursuits…must be smothered by poverty.” Such
trait Gallery, S/NPG.77.183. correspondence shows Hayden’s natural enthusiasm and drive to
pursue his goals, despite hardship.
FRACTURED CHILDHOOD AND DRIVE TO LEARN It was in 1853 that Hayden received his hard-earned break
Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden was born in September 1828 or from the famous James Hall of Albany, New York, whom he had
1829 in Westfield, Massachusetts, USA, the eldest child of Asa met through Newberry in 1851. With help from Kirtland and
and Melinda Hayden. As signified by his indeterminate birthdate, Newberry, Hayden had been trying to convince Baird or Hall to
much of Hayden’s early years are not well known. What is known hire him. He wrote Hall on 3 March 1853, stating he had a job
is that Hayden had a troubled childhood, and he came from a poor offer to teach, but would decline “if I can find employment in the
background. His father was unreliable and had a prison record. ‘field’ at even one half the sum… .” Hall finally obliged by late
2
Melinda divorced Asa in 1840 on grounds of neglect. She subse- March and began plans for a fossil collecting trip to the “Bad
quently moved to Rochester, New York, and remarried in 1841. Lands” of the Upper Missouri River.
In 1841–1842 Hayden was sent to live with his aunt in Rochester Fielding Bradford Meek, Hall’s assistant, was also hired for the
in Lorain County, Ohio. trip. From June to August, Hayden and Meek traveled upstream
The move to Ohio benefited Hayden. His aunt and uncle cared from St. Louis, explored the Badlands mid-June to mid-July, then
for him greatly enough to offer to adopt him, which he declined traveled back downstream. They observed the stratigraphy and
due to not wanting to become a farmer (Fryxell, 2010). Instead, in collected fossil and living specimens along the way. In all, the
September 1845 Hayden walked the 15 miles to Oberlin College. expedition was a success. Amongst other triumphs, Meek and
Virtually penniless and with few educational credentials he stated Hayden’s first expedition had doubled the known types of
his case to the college president. He was admitted to the Preparatory Cretaceous invertebrate shells at that time (Foster, 1994). More
Department, and in 1846 advanced to the freshman class. He was importantly, the trip proved Hayden’s abilities to many prominent
dubbed the boy of the class given his ability to fall in love regularly. scientists. These included Joseph Leidy, who analyzed the verte-
One student said Hayden was an enigma to most teachers and class- brate remains from the trip, and Spencer Baird, to whom Hayden
mates and thought of him as “an enthusiastic dreamer who would continued to write. Along with Meek, Leidy and Baird became
never conquer in practical life” (Foster, 1994). constant figures in Hayden’s career after 1853.
Yet Hayden often said his Oberlin years were the happiest of his Hayden completed his M.D. in January 1854 from Albany
life. He joined a literary group, recommended books to his tutors, Medical College, but he was anxious to conduct more fieldwork.
and studied under George Allen, who taught geology and natural In 1854, he attached himself to a 20-month expedition that took
history. He worked his way through college, never receiving a him more than halfway up the Yellowstone River to the Bighorn
dime he did not earn (White, 1894). In August 1850, Hayden grad- River confluence and then on to the Upper Missouri River to
uated “with a decided taste for the natural sciences” he claimed north-central Montana in 1855. He explored Yellowstone River

1 Smithsonian Institution Archives: SIA, RU 7002, letter number 351.

2 New York State Archives, NYSA; Merrill Papers, Library of Congress.

20 GSA Today | December 2021