James B. Macelwane

Who was James B. Macelwane?

James B. Macelwane, S.J. was a pioneering American seismologist. Father Macelwane organized the Jesuit Seismological Service, whose central station is in St. Louis, Missouri and was on the faculty of Saint Louis University.

Macelwane is the namesake of the James B. Macelwane Medal awarded annually by the American Geophysical Union and the Macelwane Fellowship awarded by the American Meteorological Society. He served as President of the AGU from 1953 until his death in 1956. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1944. The geological division of the SLU Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences is housed in Macelwane Hall.