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Irving A. Breger
Org. Geochcm. Vol. 4, No. 3,/4, pp. 114~ I15. 1983 Pergamon Press Ltd. Printed in Great Britain
OBITUARY
IRVING A. BREGER NOTED GEOCHEMIST DR IRVING A. BRI!GER, 62, Editor-in-Chief of Organic Geochemistry from its founding until 1982, a research chemist with the U.S. Geological Survey and internationally recognized authority in geochemistry, passed away on October 13, 1982 at Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, Maryland, after suffering a heart attack. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Breger received a B.S, in Chemistry from Worcester Polytechnical Institute in 1941. an M.S. in Organic Chemistry in 1947 and a Ph.D. in Geochemistry in 1950 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During this period, Breger also held positions of Inspector of Powder and Explosives for the War Department in Boston, Assistant Senior Chemist for Koppers United Company in Monaco, Pennsylwmia. Research Chemist for Publicker Commercial Alcohol Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Research Associate in Geology at M.I.T. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While at M.I.T. Breger worked as a close associate of the late Professor W. L. Whitehead in the American Petroleum Institute Research Project 43C conducting research on the effects of microorganisms and radioactivity on the origin of petroleum. In 1950 and 1951, Breger was awarded two consecutive Fulbright Research Grants to conduct research on lignin and humic substances at the University of Delft, in The Netherlands. Breger joined the U.S. Geological Survey in 1952, and devoted his distinguished career to the study of fossil fuels and their modes of occurrence. Most of his early work at the Survey focussed on the association of uranium with fossil fuels. Later he intensified his efforts on studies of the origin of fossil fuels and related substances. These studies resulted in the publication of numerous internationally recognized papers. He edited a book entitled Orqanic Geochemistry, an attthoritative textbook on the fundamental concepts of organic geochemistry. Breger has authored or coauthored more than 100 scientific reports or papers and has been invited in the U.S. and abroad to present numerous lectures to the scientific community. While at the U.S.G.S., Breger was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to study, at the CSIRO in Australia, the chemical structures of coal. He served as an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry and Earth Sciences at American University and was a Visiting Professor of Chemistry and Geology at the University of Maryland. He was a consultant to the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory since 1975, and more reccnll) also was an Adxisor to the Institute of Geochemistry, Central University of Venezuela. Brcger was a dedicated teacher of geochemistry. Hc derived satisfaction in planning and instituting a graduate program in organic geochemistry at the University of Maryland, the first such program in the U.S. Breger was active in a large number of professional societies and committees in the fields of Geology and Chemistry. He was a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemists, the American Association for Adwmcement of Science, the Geological Society of America, and the Washington Academy of Sciences. Hc was a member of the American Oil Chemists' Society, Sigma Xi, Society of Economic Geologists, the Geochemical Society ISecretary, 1959-1962: Chairman, 1965), Geological Society of Washington, International Association of Sedimentologists, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and the American Chemical Society, where he played a major role recently in establishing the Division of Geochemistry. He retired from Federal Service in 1980, but continued working at the U.S. Geological Surxey on a part-time basis. Breger was an active member of the B'nai B'rith, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and several local garden clubs. He was an accomplished amateur photographer and was much sought after to present illustrated talks of his travels. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, a son, Joel, a daughter, Iris Wilbur, a sister. Ida Goldberg of Danvers, Massachusetts and two grandchildren. Funeral services were held on October 14. ~ARL W . BAKI,R
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IRVING A. BREGER
115
OBITUARY
IRVING A. BREGER NOTED GEOCHEMIST DR IRVING A. BRI!GER, 62, Editor-in-Chief of Organic Geochemistry from its founding until 1982, a research chemist with the U.S. Geological Survey and internationally recognized authority in geochemistry, passed away on October 13, 1982 at Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, Maryland, after suffering a heart attack. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Breger received a B.S, in Chemistry from Worcester Polytechnical Institute in 1941. an M.S. in Organic Chemistry in 1947 and a Ph.D. in Geochemistry in 1950 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During this period, Breger also held positions of Inspector of Powder and Explosives for the War Department in Boston, Assistant Senior Chemist for Koppers United Company in Monaco, Pennsylwmia. Research Chemist for Publicker Commercial Alcohol Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Research Associate in Geology at M.I.T. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While at M.I.T. Breger worked as a close associate of the late Professor W. L. Whitehead in the American Petroleum Institute Research Project 43C conducting research on the effects of microorganisms and radioactivity on the origin of petroleum. In 1950 and 1951, Breger was awarded two consecutive Fulbright Research Grants to conduct research on lignin and humic substances at the University of Delft, in The Netherlands. Breger joined the U.S. Geological Survey in 1952, and devoted his distinguished career to the study of fossil fuels and their modes of occurrence. Most of his early work at the Survey focussed on the association of uranium with fossil fuels. Later he intensified his efforts on studies of the origin of fossil fuels and related substances. These studies resulted in the publication of numerous internationally recognized papers. He edited a book entitled Orqanic Geochemistry, an attthoritative textbook on the fundamental concepts of organic geochemistry. Breger has authored or coauthored more than 100 scientific reports or papers and has been invited in the U.S. and abroad to present numerous lectures to the scientific community. While at the U.S.G.S., Breger was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to study, at the CSIRO in Australia, the chemical structures of coal. He served as an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry and Earth Sciences at American University and was a Visiting Professor of Chemistry and Geology at the University of Maryland. He was a consultant to the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory since 1975, and more reccnll) also was an Adxisor to the Institute of Geochemistry, Central University of Venezuela. Brcger was a dedicated teacher of geochemistry. Hc derived satisfaction in planning and instituting a graduate program in organic geochemistry at the University of Maryland, the first such program in the U.S. Breger was active in a large number of professional societies and committees in the fields of Geology and Chemistry. He was a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemists, the American Association for Adwmcement of Science, the Geological Society of America, and the Washington Academy of Sciences. Hc was a member of the American Oil Chemists' Society, Sigma Xi, Society of Economic Geologists, the Geochemical Society ISecretary, 1959-1962: Chairman, 1965), Geological Society of Washington, International Association of Sedimentologists, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and the American Chemical Society, where he played a major role recently in establishing the Division of Geochemistry. He retired from Federal Service in 1980, but continued working at the U.S. Geological Surxey on a part-time basis. Breger was an active member of the B'nai B'rith, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and several local garden clubs. He was an accomplished amateur photographer and was much sought after to present illustrated talks of his travels. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, a son, Joel, a daughter, Iris Wilbur, a sister. Ida Goldberg of Danvers, Massachusetts and two grandchildren. Funeral services were held on October 14. ~ARL W . BAKI,R
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IRVING A. BREGER
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