No special access restriction applies.
Gift of Renton, John, 2019 March 21.
Dr. John Renton was a professor in the Geology Department at West Virginia University for about 50 years, from 1965 until 2015. Renton had a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Waynesburg College, and completed his Master's in geology and doctoral program at WVU, being awarded his PhD in 1963. Dr. Renton's specialties included geochemistry, coal geology, x-ray analysis, and clay mineralogy, and he has contributed to at least 45 published papers in these fields. Dr. Renton was also passionate about introductory education, as evidenced in his Geology 101 course and the
Sources and More information: IN MEMORIAM: John J. "Jack" Renton, PhD, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, 6 March 2020. Renton, John J.,
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Dr. John Renton, Professor of Geology, Papers and Educational Materials, A&M 4759, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Papers from Dr. John Renton, who was an Emeritus Professor of Geology at West Virginia University. This collection includes a variety of materials, such as maps, illustrations, transparencies, essays, and articles, all pertaining to his work in the geology department. A wide range of topics are covered, and the level spans from basic, introductory geological concepts to academic research. Renton also created regionally specific resources, such as lessons on Appalachian and West Virginian geology (Series 1 and 2). This collection is arranged into two series. The first series consists of educational resources Renton created to be used by West Virginian K-12 Earth Science teachers, and in his own instructive undertakings. The second series contains other materials created and collected by Renton over the course of his career, such as unpublished educational and research manuscripts; published academic articles; and various lessons and field trip guides.
Some of the materials have digital copies, which can be found on the Introduction to Earth Science page on the WVU Research Repository website. At this time, not every link has been matched to the original content. See box list for more information about available digital copies. If there is no note about digital materials, no digital copies exist.
The materials created by John Renton are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. For more information regarding permission to publish or reproduce, please contact, the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department.
Educational materials created by Dr. Renton for K-12 geology education, as well as for his Geology 101 class. Materials cover a variety of topics, and include lessons from his Geology 101 course and Planet Earth study Guide, as well as his Nature of Earth lecture series. Each topic generally includes written material on the topic, as well as supplemental images and graphics created and collected by Renton. This collection is partially available online: digitized images can be explored by topic on the "An Introduction to Earth Science" webpage, and some of the supplemental written materials can be viewed on the "Readings and Notes" page. See each folder for more information on digitization. If there is no note about digital materials, no digital copies exist.
Many of the materials in this series correspond with his Geology 101 course, his Planet Earth Study Guide, and his Nature of Earth lecture series. PDF copies of Renton's Geology 101 syllabus, unit outlines, and study guides are available upon request, or can be viewed on his archived website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of the articles " "Deserts and Wind" and " Adiabatic Cooling and Warming," as well as some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. A copy of the article "Earth's Place in Space" can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of the article "Earthquakes" and some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of the article "Oceans and Shorelines" and some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Illustrations and short descriptions of roughly 75 Paleolithic plants and animals.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of the images of Paleolithic Plants and Paleolithic Animals can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website. The descriptions have not been digitized.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of the article "Kinds of Volcanoes" and some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of some of the images can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Mini-Lessons on: Earth's Atmosphere; Eons, Eras, and Periods; Geologic Time; Human Evolution; and Thin Skinned Tectonics
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Copies of the articles "Eons, Eras and Periods" and Geologic Time can be viewed online through the Research Repository's website.
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized. Dr. Renton's Geology 101 study guide, as well as other class outlines can be viewed on his archived website.
The personal and professional papers created and collected by Dr. Renton during his time as a Geology professor. This includes unpublished chapters and articles on a variety of subjects, published academic articles to which Renton contributed, academic articles Renton collected, and a small collection of lessons and field trip guides. Many of these materials are centered around Appalachian geology, including what appears to be chapters or lessons for an overview of Appalachian geology and history. Some of the unpublished works and field trip guides have been digitized and can be accessed online at the repository. See folders for more information on digitization status. If there is no note about digital materials, no digital copies exist.
Three short essays on Appalachian Geology and History: "The Early History of Appalachian Oil and Gas"; Appalachian Physiographic Provinces" (2 copies); "The Appalachian Plateaus"
Chapter 7 of an unidentified work, concerning fossil fuels in Central Appalachia.
Eleven unpublished chapters on eras/periods of prehistoric earth, including Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Mississippian, Pennsylvanian, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Cenozoic.
The eleven chapters in this folder have been digitized individually and can be viewed online on the Readings and Notes page of the Research Repository's website.
Original copies of published articles to which Dr. Renton contributed.
The articles are: "Normal Faulting in the Caldwell-Lewisburg Area of Greenbrier County, West Virginia;" "Experimental Study of Sandstone Cementation;" "Late Paleozoic molasse of central Appalachians;" "A laboratory procedure to evaluate the acid producing potential of coal associated rocks;" "The acid-producing potential of the various rock units associated with the mining of coal;" "The effect of iron disulfide type, size and morphology on the acid-producing potential of rock encountered in the mining of coal;" "An experimental evaluation of the use of rock phosphate (apatite) for the amelioration of acid-producing coal mine waste;" "The potential use of coal mine refuse as feedstock for gasification or combustion and concurrent elimination as a source of acid mine drainage;" "A comparison of methods for the determination of the pyritic sulfur content of coal;" "An evaluation of fluidized bed combustor ash as a source of alkalinity to treat toxic rock materials;" "Association of coal macerals, sulfur, sulfur species and the iron disulphide minerals in three columns of the Pittsburgh coal;" "FTIR microspectroscopy of particular liptinite- (lopinite-) rich, Late Permian coals from Southern China;" "Application of Limestone to Restore Fish Communities in Acidified Streams;" "Petrographic zonation within the Waynesburg coal;" "Petrographic zonation within the Pittsburgh coal;" and "Neutralization Potential of Overburden Samples Containing Siderite."
Some of the materials in this folder have been digitized.
Student records (primarily names and grades) from H.P. Woodward's Geology course (1928 and 1930); a newsprint page of student poetry, possibly from the Daily Athenaeum, including two poems by geology student John Golay and "The 7:00 News" by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jayne Anne Phillips (circa 1972-1973); and a letter from a student regarding the Introduction to Geology course (2008)