Background
His father was the famous mathematician Carl Størmer. Størmer was born in Kristiania (now Oslo) to Fredrik Carl Mülertz Størmer (1874–1957) and Adelaide Clauson (1877–1973).
geologist paleontologist professor
His father was the famous mathematician Carl Størmer. Størmer was born in Kristiania (now Oslo) to Fredrik Carl Mülertz Størmer (1874–1957) and Adelaide Clauson (1877–1973).
Leif Størmer attended school in Kristiania, and became interested in paleontology and geology. In 1923, he took his examen artium, and studied thereafter at the University of Oslo. He graduated with the candidate.mag.
He was professor of historical geology at the University of Oslo from 1946 to 1975. Degree in 1928, then the dr.philos. degree in 1931. In 1931-1932, Størmer resided in the United States with a Rockefeller Foundation grant.
One year later, he took his dissertation Skandinaviske Trinucleidae, which introduced numerous publications on the construction, nature and development of the trilobite.
From 1940 to 1941 he chaired the Geological Society of Norway. During the Second World War, Størmer participated in the Norwegian resistance movement as a treasurer for Milorg.
In 1946, he was appointed professor of historical geology at the University of Oslo. From 1957 to 1959, he was dean at the university"s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
Størmer authored about 70 publications on paleontology and geology in his life.
He also wrote a few popular science articles for different Norwegian magazines. Størmer was concerned about communicating his knowledge in a popular scientific way. He was one amongst three editors of the fourth edition of the popular encyclopedia Aschehougs konversasjonsleksikon and published in 1966 a textbook titled Jorden og livets historie ("The History of the Earth and Life").
Størmer also had positions in several Norwegian and international organisations in science after the war.
From 1960 to 1965, he headed the International Stratigraphy Commission. He participated in Statens lønnskommisjon av 1946 ("The State"s Wage Commission of 1946") and in the committee that prepared the Norwegian law of nature conservation (1956).
He also received the Reusch Medal (1937), the Bergen Price (1945) and the Fridtjof Nansen Price (1965). He died in May 1979 in Oslo, aged 73.
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters]
In 1940, he became a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. He was notably a board member of the International Paleontological Union and of the International Geological Union. He was also involved in the insurance business as a supervisory council member of Forsikringsselskapet Norden.