George Wetherill was the Director Emeritus, Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC, USA. He was born on August 12, 1925 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1953 after a succession of degrees, Ph.B., S.B., S.M., and Ph.D. After receiving his doctorate, he joined Carnegie’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism as a member of the scientific staff. Between 1960 and 1975 he was a professor and department chairman at the University of California, Los Angeles. He came back to Carnegie in 1975 as director of the department, a position he held until 1991. After he stepped down, he continued his research as director emeritus. Dr. Wetherill was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1971 and the National Academy of Sciences in 1974. In 1997, he received the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest scientific award. He died on July 19, 2006 in Washington, D.C., United States.