Creation of this resource was supported in part by an award from the Colorado Historical Records Advisory Board, through funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), National Archives Records Administration.
William Chenoweth’s geologic career began in 1953, when he received his Master’s in Geology. His thesis, which was funded by the Atomic Energy Commission, focused on Uranium production. This collection contains both his thesis and the research he used to write it.
He was appointed Chief of the Geologic Branch in Grand Junction office in 1970 and was responsible for the activities of the AEC geologists in the 14 western states. During this time, he examined all the major uranium mining areas in the US. He was also the Chairman of the Nuclear Minerals Committee of the Energy Minerals Division of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists from 1983-1998.
He is the author and coauthor of over eighty reports on uranium mining history, geology, and resources in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. He spent his later years as a consultant to the Justice Department on the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. His incredible memory for details and his meticulous record keeping were an invaluable resource to families of miners seeking compensation for radiation-related illnesses. He was also involved in plotting the Northern Branch of the Spanish Trail using the original boundary lines outlined in several historical documents and was instrumental in plotting where Captain Gunnison’s crossing occurred.
The William L. Chenoweth collection includes the personal papers, photographs, research, and other documents relating to his work on various uranium, mining, geology, and history projects he was involved with during his life.
Atomic Energy Commission (is related to) Grand Junction (is located in)
Atomic Energy Commission (is located in)