William Watt Hutchison, president of the International Union of Geological Sciences and assistant deputy minister for the Geological Survey of Canada, has died in Ottawa of cancer. He was 52.
Dr Hutchison was born in Scotland and graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1957. He took post-graduate studies at the University of Toronto and received his doctorate in geology in 1962.
He spent a brief period in industry, then joined the gsc, part of the federal government’s department of Energy, Mines and Resources. His flair for developing methods of handling and displaying complex data led to his appointment in 1974 as head of the gsc’s data systems group in Ottawa.
Dr Hutchison was promoted in 1981 to the position of director- general of the gsc, Canada’s oldest scientific research organization. His appointment as assistant deputy minister of earth sciences followed later the same year.
He is survived by his wife Brigitte, daughters Celine and Tania, sisters Anne Hutchison (in Aberdeen) and Margaret Chater (in Aberystwyth, Wales).
One of Dr Hutchison’s last wishes was to establish under iugs auspices a memorial fund called the Hutchison Young Scientist Foundation, to assist in professional development of meritorious young geologists through participation in key iugs-sponsored meetings and conferences. Contributions to this fund may be addressed, in trust, to Scott and Aylen, Barristers and Solicitors, attention Laird Rasmussen, 170 Laurier West, Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5V5. William W. Hutchison
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