Background

Charles Hayes was born on October 8, 1858, at Granville, Ohio, United States, the oldest son and fifth child of Charles Coleman and Ruth Rebecca (Wolcott) Hayes. His forebears had migrated to Ohio in the early part of the nineteenth century. His ancestors were from the North of England, whence they emigrated to Maryland in the latter part of the seventeenth century. Hayes’s father was a tanner by trade, who moved to Hanover, Ohio, in 1868.

Education

Charles is described as a “sturdy youngster, full of enterprise and without fear, ” but with a pronounced scholarly tendency which he apparently inherited from his mother, who was a seminary graduate and before her marriage a teacher. From the elementary schools he passed to the Denison University preparatory school and at the age of nineteen entered the sub-freshman school of Oberlin College whence he was graduated from the classical and scientific department in 1883, with inclinations toward teaching. He is stated to have been a good student, having a certain mental poise uncommon among students of his own age. Hayes entered in 1884 the graduate school of Johns Hopkins University as a student in chemistry. Here he came in contact with George H. Williams - young, of pleasing personality, fresh from Heidelberg, and filled with enthusiasm over the recently developed science of micropetrology. Dull and unimpressible indeed must have been the man who would not have succumbed, and it was not long before Hayes was found taking part in all the geological excursions and was one of the “inner circle” of geological students. Nevertheless he received his doctorate in 1887 with chemistry as his major and mineralogy and geology his minor subjects.

Career

Still dreaming of a professorship in chemistry, Hayes went to Washington in the spring of 1887 and while there agreed to become assistant to I. C. Russell of the United States Geological Survey for work in the Southern Appalachians at a monthly salary of fifty dollars. He is said never to have regretted this move. He remained with the Appalachian division of the Survey until the spring of 1897, interrupting his service only by a trip of exploration in company with Lieutenant Schwatka into Alaska and down the Yukon basin in the summer of 1891. His executive ability was soon recognized by his superiors. In 1899 he was given charge of the section of non-metalliferous resources in the division and three years later he was placed in administrative charge of all the geological work of the Survey. At the time the Nicaragua Canal Commission was organized Hayes was appointed geologist and later (1910) he was assigned to similar duties in the Panama Canal Zone. In 1911 he succumbed to the financial inducements of the Aguila Oil Company of Mexico and his services as a geologist came to an end.

From the beginning Hayes' tastes ran strongly along the lines of physiography. He was nevertheless interested in economic problems and while he was in charge of the section of the Survey devoted to the non-metallic minerals, he became particularly interested in the southern deposits of rock phosphate and of bauxite. As an administrator both with the Survey and in Mexico he was successful to a marked degree. He remained with the Mexican oil companies until the Americans were driven out by revolution. He then returned to Washington. Later he took a trip to London to prepare for future explorations for oil. Failing rapidly from an internal cancer, however, he returned to his home in Washington, where, after a painful illness, he died in 1916.

Achievements

• Charles Hayes achieved success working for the United States Geological Survey and doing there lots of research work.

Works

More photos

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  • An expedition through the Yukon district

    (This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

  • Contributions To Economic Geology, 1902...

    (This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

  • On the Phosphates and Marls of Alabama

    (This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

  • Handbook for Field Geologists

    (This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

  • Oil Fields of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coastal Plain

    (This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)

  • Report on a geological reconnoissance sic of Cuba; made under the direction of General Leonard Wood, Military Governor

    (This historic book may have numerous typos and missing te...)

  • The State Geological Surveys Of The United States...

    (This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

  • Geomorphology Of The Southern Appalachians

    ( This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923....)

Membership

Hayes was a member o the geological societies of America and of Washington, of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, and of the Mining and Metallurgies Society of America.

Personality

Hayes was a vigorous and careful worker and spared no pains to insure accuracy in his results. He was an original thinker and brought new life into the organizations with which he became associated.

Connections

Hayes was married on March 22, 1894, to Rosa E. Paige of Washington.

Father:

Charles Coleman Hayes

Mother:

Ruth Rebecca (Wolcott) Hayes

Spouse:

Rosa E. (Paige) Hayes

Son:

Charles Willard Hayes