Henry hess biography

American geologist (–)

Harry Hammond Hess (May 24, – August 25, ) was an American geologist and a United States Navy officer in World War II who is considered one of the "founding fathers" of the unifying theory of plate tectonics.

He published theories on sea floor spreading, specifically on relationships between island arcs, seafloor gravity anomalies, and serpentinizedperidotite, suggesting that the convection in the Earth's mantle is the driving force behind this process.

Early life and education

Harry Hammond Hess was born on May 24, , in New York City to Julian S. Hess, a member of the New York Stock Exchange, and Elizabeth Engel Hess.

Henry hess geologist

He attended Asbury Park High School in Asbury Park, New Jersey. In , he entered Yale University, where he intended to study electrical engineering but ended up graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in geology. Hess failed his first time taking mineralogy at Yale and was told he had no future in the field.