This week IMAGE 2025, jointly organized by AAPG and SEG, is being held in Houston. I am attending this gathering as I have in previous years. AAPG is inviting IMAGE attendees from this year and past years to write brief comments on their experiences. Please send your comments to editorial@aapg.org🙂
This edition of Core Elements celebrates history, which is always informative and relevant to the present.
Rasoul Sorkhabi
Editor, Core Elements
100 Years After the Scopes Monkey Trial
John Scopes and the film Inherit the Wind/Wikipedia Commons
In 1925, 24-year-old high school teacher John Scopes stood trial in Dayton, Tennessee, for the crime of teaching evolution. The “Scopes Monkey Trial,” dubbed the "Trial of the Century," drew large attention in 1925 and even more so after that. He was convicted and fined $100.
Anniversary: This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Scopes Monkey Trial. To reflect on its legacy, several resources are available:
The 1955 play Inherit the Wind, inspired by the Scopes Trial and later adapted into a 1960 film, has been revived in several theatres in the US.
In Search of John Scopes: The answer to "What happened to John Scopes after the trial?" is given in an AAPG Explorer article by Matthew Silverman, who also presented it at the 2018 AAPG Annual Convention. Here are highlights:
John Scopes was born in 1900 in Kentucky and earned a law degree with a minor in geology from the University of Kentucky.
At age 24, he became a high school football coach and science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee.
Following the 1925 trial, he pursued geology at the University of Chicago, taking courses and conducting fieldwork toward a doctorate.
Due to the trial, Scopes was denied a fellowship and soon ran out of money.
In 1927, Scopes was hired by Gulf Oil and worked in Venezuela.
In 1929, Gulf instructed Scopes and his party to extend their survey into Colombia, even though the company did not have permission to work there. He declined the field trip and was fired by the company.
Still passionate about this Ph.D. work, Scopes collected geological information in New Mexico to write his dissertation, but the Great Depression left him without the funds to continue his studies.
In 1930, Scopes married and welcomed a child in 1932, creating an urgent need for steady employment.
In 1933, Scopes joined United Gas Corporation and worked in petroleum exploration of the Gulf Coast until his retirement in 1964.
He published his autobiography, Center of the Storm, in 1968, two years before his death in Louisiana.
Sponsored
Built for Interpreters. Designed for Results.
Streamline complex subsurface workflows in one connected environment.
GVERSE GeoGraphix supports the entire interpretation journey; from seismic visualization and attributes analysis to cross-sections and structural maps.
AAPG Explorer and cover of the Petroleum History Institute's Oil-Industry History
History of Petroleum Geoscience Forum: For decades, AAPG has organized a special session on the History of Petroleum Geoscience at its national and international conventions, a tradition that continues at IMAGE '25.
This session will be held on Tuesday, 26 August at 10 am in Room 371 A. Cochaired by Matthew Silverman and Ali Sloan, the session includes four presentations:
Robert Lindsay: "Discovery of the Permian Basin, Early Field Discoveries, Red Bed Map, and Core Workshop"
Rasoul Sorkhabi: "The deepest and longest wells ever drilled"
Matt Silverman: "Fracking with a Nuke: The Gasbuggy Project"
Roger Willis: "Geoscientists, leading the world, really"
Historical Highlights inAAPG Explorer: Since February 2011, AAPG Explorer has published the “Historical Highlights” series, which now includes 175 articles.
The series was initiated by Hans Krause, a Shell petroleum geologist, who also wrote the first article on the discovery of Nelson Field in the North Sea. Krause, together with AAPG Explorer editor Vern Stefnic, managed the series until February 2019. Since March 2019, the series has been managed by Matthew Silverman and current AAPG Explorer editor Brian Ervin.
What they're saying: “The historical column,” Krause commented, “became one of the readership’s more liked columns.”
“The series,” says Silverman, “focuses on the history of petroleum exploration and production, especially our work in the geosciences. Articles have highlighted the critical advances of science and technology, the key oilfield discoveries around the world, and the saints and sinners among our colleagues.”
Petroleum History Institute (PHI): PHI is a successor to the Drake Well Foundation, established in 1951 in Pennsylvania.
PHI has published Oil-Industry History annually since 2000. The journal is the only peer-reviewed English journal in the field of petroleum history.
PHI organizes a Petroleum History Symposium and Field Trip each year. This year’s symposium was held in Midland and Odessa, Texas, in March. The 24th symposium and field trip will be held in Bakersfield, California, 16-18 April 2026.
PHI gives several awards each year, including the Colonel Edwin Drake Legendary Oilman Award, the Samuel T. Pees Keeper of the Flame Award, the Distinguished Service Award, and the Best Paper awards.
PHI members receive the Oil-Industry History and discounted rates on registration for the annual symposia. Annual membership is US $50 for individuals, $20 for students, $500 for corporations and libraries, and $750 for lifetime members.
American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS): AOGHS, dedicated to preserving US petroleum history, maintains a very informative website including the following features:
GVERSE GeoGraphix simplifies interpretation with integrated tools for seismic visualization, well correlation, mapping, and modeling. Say goodbye to disconnected platforms and hello to real efficiency.
đź‘Ť If you enjoyed this edition of Core Elements, consider supporting AAPG's brand of newsletters by forwarding to a friend or colleague and signing up for our other newsletters here.
➡️ Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe to Core Elements here.
✉️ To get in touch with Rasoul, send an email to editorial@aapg.org.
AAPG thanks our advertisers for their support. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. If you're interested in supporting AAPG digital products, reach out to Melissa Roberts.
.png?upscale=true&width=220&upscale=true&name=Rasoul-Sorkhabi-Headshot-Signature%20(1).png)
