Professor Samuel Knight influenced generations of geologists, both as the head of UW’s department of geology and also as the founder of the UW Science Camp.
Knight felt that students in Wyoming and beyond would benefit from the chance to study diverse geological phenomena in the field. In 1925 he established a permanent field camp in the Medicine Bow Mountains, west of Laramie.
Transporting the gear and students to and from camp and nearby geological sites required a fleet of hardy vehicles. Eleven second-hand Franklin touring cars were acquired – each painted bright yellow with a dinosaur logo on the door. Knight described it as the most picturesque caravan to travel the roads of Wyoming since the days of the covered wagons.
Students of geology, botany and zoology from universities across the U.S. vied for a place in the camp.
Explore the Samuel H. Knight papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more about the history of UW’s Science Camp.