Odell S. McGuire, a professor emeritus of geology who taught for 32
years at W&L, died early today, Dec. 8, at Heritage Hall Health and
Rehab Center, in Lexington. He was 81.
photo by Andy Backus '83 at the Geology Reunion, 2007.

Prof. McGuire was born in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 19, 1927, to
Odell S. and Winifred Claxton McGuire. He served in the Navy during
World War II and as an infantry officer in the Army during the
Korean War, when he received the Purple Heart.

He attended the University of Tennessee from 1946 to 1948, majoring
in English. He received a B.S. in geology from the University of
Tulsa in 1956; an M.A. in geology from Columbia University in 1958;
and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Illinois in 1962. He
worked for Texaco Exploration Co. in Canada from 1957 to 1960.

Prof. McGuire joined W&L's faculty in 1962 as an instructor in
geology, became a full professor in 1970 and retired in 1994. From
1964 to 1965, he served as a visiting assistant professor at VMI.

"His devotion to his students and to his scholarship was obvious to
everyone who knew him," said President Ken Ruscio. "He was truly one
of a kind."

" As the person who was hired to replace Prof. McGuire, I feel
strongly the loss of a man whose shoes I could not possibly have
filled," said David Harbor, professor of geology and department
head. "Odell's life was large, his intellect was gifted and the
breadth of his inquiry was simply astounding. The importance of his
influence on the hearts and minds of his students remains clear in
the interest and care expressed by a generation of our returning
geology alums. He will be greatly missed at the next Geology
Department reunion."

Prof. McGuire's scientific interests and publications covered such
topics as paleontology, geologic mapping, environmental impacts and
land-use planning, geology of the Appalachians, hydrology,
evolutionary theory, geomorphology, geohydrology and stratigraphy.

He was an active member of the Virginia Academy of Sciences and
other professional organizations. He held fellowships with the
University of Illinois and the National Science Foundation (NSF),
twice directed the NSF Geology Institute for High School Teachers,
and received a Sloane Grant for a study comparing the Alps with the
Appalachians.

His name graces an award for students in the W&L Geology Department:
the Samuel J. Kozak-Odell S. McGuire-Edgar W. Spencer-Frederick L.
Schwab Award

In addition to his many accomplishments in the classroom and in
geology, Prof. McGuire was famed for his talent and passion for the
clawhammer banjo.

Odell and his former wife, Mata Battye McGuire, have three children,
Melanie, Forrest and Jesse.

Julie Campbell
Communications and Public Affairs

The memorial service for Prof. Odell S. McGuire will be on Sunday,
Dec. 21, at 4:00 p.m. in Lee Chapel followed by a reception in the Great
Hall of the Science Center .

For more information on the service, feel free to contact Burr Datz,
coordinator of religious life, at bdatz@wlu.edu or 458.4045.

The family has requested that memorial gifts be made to the Rockbridge
Area Conservation Council, PO Box 564, Lexington, VA 24450. Odell
was one of the first members of RACC and made the initial contact with
the Nature Conservancy when the C & O was being asked to transfer
rights to the Conservancy.