Our History
The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists Foundation was established on December 31, 1975 by action of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG). At the time, the RMAG recognized a need for a philanthropic partner to provide financial support for educational, charitable, and scientific activities related to or allied with the field of geology, outside of and allied with normal RMAG activities. The founding Trustees were John P. Lockridge, John W. Rold, and Robert J. Weimer. They guided the Foundation through its formative first decade, including donating the first funds to form an investment body.
To fulfill its mission and goals, the Foundation supports earth science-related activities and organizations. From 1975 to 2000, the Foundation granted science fair awards, provided undergraduate and graduate student scholarships and awards, helped renew the signage on the I-70 Road-cut geology trails, helped establish the Denver Earth Resource Library (DERL), supported RMAG guidebook publications, and gave grants to organizations, including Dinosaur Ridge and the RMAG. Since 2000, the Foundation greatly increased its graduate and undergraduate scholarship awards. Several RMAG members and their families established named and funded scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students. The Foundation supports an Earth Science Teacher of the Year cash award to a Colorado K-12 teacher and her/his school. The Foundation continues to support geoscience organizations such as the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Morrison Natural History Museum, Dinosaur Ridge, and the RMAG.
Foundation Trustees have the sole fiduciary responsibility for determining and administering annual financial support for grants, awards, and scholarships. Since 2016, the all-volunteer Board increased from three to nine Trustees to support the workload. The Foundation funds philanthropic activities from earnings on investments coupled with generous contributions from RMAG members. Named scholarships form restricted investment bodies that are self-supporting. General donations form an unrestricted investment body that provides grants and awards to all other earth science organizations.
Past Foundation Trustees in alphabetical order: Donna S. Anderson, Dudley W. Bolyard, James Huck, Harold E. Kellogg, Ryan Kowalsky, Marla Kula, John P. Lockridge, John M. Parker, James P. Rogers, David B. MacKenzie, Hal Macartney, Phil Moffitt, Kurt Reisser, Mitchell W. Reynolds, John Robinson, John W. Rold, Robert T. Sellars, Jr., Matthew Silverman, Charles W. Spencer, Stephen Sonnenberg, Tom Sperr, Stephen M. Strachan, Robert J. Weimer.