Dr. Arthur J. Ehlmann, TCU Emeritus Professor of Geology

[rtpfrog]

For those of you that were lucky enough to know him, take a Geology class, or be subjected to his legendary oral exam in mineralogy, Art passed away this past Saturday.

Here is a short extract from the email:

"Dr. Arthur J. Ehlmann, Emeritus Professor of Geology, passed away suddenly on August 19. He spent that Saturday morning doing what he loved best—looking at a new meteorite and visiting with his colleagues.....

A memorial service will be held at Robert Carr Chapel at 2 PM on Monday, August 28, followed by a reception in front of the Oscar Monnig Meteorite Gallery in Sid Richardson.

The family suggests remembrances be made to the TCU Dr. Arthur Ehlmann Scholarship, TCU Box 297044, Fort Worth, Texas 76129."

There are some great stories involving the early years of TCU Geology field trips with professors and students that the department used to go on regularly. Most of which the details of which cant be divulged. Two fond memories are the time he got his first speeding ticket in West Texas driving the TCU van, or the large drawing of the "oh no bird" that mysteriously appeared in his lab before a oral exam in mineralogy.. Find an alum, or professor from the 70's or 80's and offer them a beer and they will divulge.

I can envision him making St Peter go thru an oral exams with crystal models as he stands their stroking his beard. The beard starts to migrate as he lifts his eye brow and he frowns while smiling at the same time.

The creator of the "God Given Truths of Geology", I will never forget his first rule: symmetry works on symmetry.

He will be missed. He was the best professor I had at TCU. A good friend and colleague to all that knew him. I will miss visiting with him at the Geology Tailgate for the first game.

 

[wes]

Thanks for putting this up

Dr Ehlman was exactly what I think a Profesor should be, tough but fair minded. He didn't baby you and stuck true to the principle that he was there to guide you but the work and learning was up to you

He was a great one

 

[GeoFrog]

He retired the year before I took mineralogy. Half of our class were students that had failed his mineralogy course the year before. He was tough, but also very likable, and the guy worked really hard. When I was senior and working on a core project, I had to use the departments Core saw a lot. I would set-up a piece on the saw and head to class because it took about an hour to cut a 6" piece of core. On more than one occasion, I came back to see my half cut piece of core laying on the table while one of his meteorites was now on the core saw. Then I started coming in late at night to do it, and he was still there. The man was an animal.

Nice Article from a few years back: https://www.meteorite-times.com/monning-collection/dr-arthur-ehlmann/

 

[Brog]

A couple of years ago I took two of my grandsons over to the Science building where the meteorology museum is found. Wanted to show them the meteor collection there. The secretary/receptionist there told me she regretted that the Museum wasn't open that afternoon, told me when to come back to see it. But out of his office came Prof Ehlman, had overheard me tell that my out of town grandsons wanted to see the collection, said he happened to have the key to the Museum and would be our guide, if we were OK with that. We sure were, and we had a great 40 minute long tour of the museum with explanations along the way. That's the kind of fellow Art Ehlman was. A great guy.

 

[Frog DJ]

Thanks for putting this up

Dr Ehlman was exactly what I think a Profesor should be, tough but fair minded. He didn't baby you and stuck true to the principle that he was there to guide you but the work and learning was up to you

He was a great one

Boy, did I struggle in that class!

Dr. Ehlman was relentless, and I was sure I was going to get an F.

When grades were posted, somehow - someway - I got a D.

I was too afraid to ask...

Go Frogs!

 

[BleedNPurple]

Art and family were forever family friends of ours. He and my father went to coffee together every day with Libby Proffer and their coffee klatch! Brilliant man with a tremendous sense of humor. Thanks for posting - I need to make sure my mom is aware of his passing.

 

[wes]

Boy, did I struggle in that class!

Dr. Ehlman was relentless, and I was sure I was going to get an F.

When grades were posted, somehow - someway - I got a D.

I was too afraid to ask...

Go Frogs!

That oral exam for Mineralogy was nerve wracking to say the least but somehow I got by.

His Optical Mineralogy class was tough but at least we didn't have that damned oral exam.

I've always said that he was the best professor that I ever had and that will never change

 

[frogs9497]

His was the first class I stepped foot in my first semester freshman year. A large auditorium full of kids for the most basic geology course. I more or less blew the class off and paid for it. It's the one and only C on my college transcript.

Not his fault. He left quite an impression on me, and probably did me a favor for the remainder of my college career.

 

[Frogo]

Though I became an English/History major, Art made me toy for a few hours with becoming a geology major --and that was after my first semester, Physical Geology!

I loved how he always began his lectures with an invitation to ask any scientific question--about anything. He was very patient and very clear.

I value that even though I was a non-science guy, he and I became friends through the years. A class act.

 

[Diehard]

Thanks for putting this up

Dr Ehlman was exactly what I think a Profesor should be, tough but fair minded. He didn't baby you and stuck true to the principle that he was there to guide you but the work and learning was up to you

He was a great one

He was tough alright and I learned it the first week of my freshman year. I was a Radio -TV- Film major. In his first class he asked, "are there any Radio-TV-Film majors in here?". I raised my hand thinking it might be a plus. Instead he said, "you will fail this class". To say the least I was shocked, but the message was received. I worked hard to prove him wrong and I did not fail the class. Ended up I enjoyed the class and his dry humor. He was great guy and its sad that he is gone.