Scott Smithson

Born on October 28, 1930, in the suburbs outside of Chicago, Illinois, Scott was the only child of the late Vivian (Skudstad) and John Smithson. After earning his degree in geological engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1954, Scott worked as a seismologist for Shell Oil and served his country in the U.S. Army, working on communications systems at the Pentagon. His early career also included work locating nuclear tests for the U.S. Air Force while earning his master’s degree at the University of Wyoming (UW), followed by doctoral and postdoctoral research at the University of Oslo in Norway.

In 1964, Scott returned to Laramie to join the faculty at the University of Wyoming, embarking on a distinguished, decades-long academic career in geophysics and crustal seismology. Recognized with the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) Outstanding Educator Award, Scott mentored nearly 100 graduate and undergraduate students who affectionately called themselves “Smithson’s Commandos.” He had a rare gift for freeing his students' imaginations, inspiring them through hands-on research, perseverance, and teamwork.

Scott enjoyed life and all that it had to offer. He was very active, exercising three times a week until his last day with personal trainers. He loved his students and he loved his family. Outside of academia, Scott was a sweet and curious man who embraced life's simple pleasures. He enjoyed flying model airplanes, operating his ham radio, and spending quiet time at home with his beloved cat, Kitty.

Scott was deeply loved and revered my many. He spent his life studying the Earth's crust and now his energy has seamlessly rejoined the physical universe he so loved to explore. Though his physical frequencies have quieted, his resonance will echo through generations of geophysicists and beyond. He will be dearly missed.

Scott is survived by his devoted wife and partner of over 30 years, Elena Morozova; his son, John David Smithson; and his two grandsons, Devin and Vidan. Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by his son, James “Jim” Smithson.

An ever-practical man to the end, Scott requested that no formal funeral service be held. In keeping with his lifelong dedication to research and learning, he chose to donate his body to science. His motto was “It is better to be lucky than smart”. Scott was both lucky and smart.