Smithsonian
Switzer first joined the staff of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in 1948. He initially worked as an associate curator of the museum's Division of Mineralogy and Petrology, a position which he held from 1948 until 1964. He was later promoted to Chairman of the Smithsonian's Department of Mineral Sciences from 1964 to 1969. He remained at the Smithsonian as the curator emeritus until 1975.
Switzer was a major force behind the museum's research division. He applied for and received a grant from NASA, which allowed the Smithsonian to obtain an electron probe micro-analyzer for minerals during the 1970s. The micro-analyzer allows scientists to determine the origin of a given mineral. From 1972 until 1973, Switzer and other mineralogists used the micro-analyzer to examine samples of rock from the Moon which were brought back by the crews of the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 missions. The U.S. military had hoped to find diamonds, plutonium and uranium in the samples. Instead, Switzer's analysis showed that the Moon had never had either an atmosphere similar to Earth's or water on its surface. Switzer's research put the National Museum of Natural History at the forefront of geology.
Switzer also worked with other scientists to identify and name five minerals, which were all new to science, during his career. In his honor, three prominent mineralogists - Peter B. Leavens, John S. White and Pier F. Zanazzi - proposed naming a mineral after Switzer. The mineral in question consisted of pale brown crystals, composed of manganese phosphate, and was first discovered in North Carolina. In 1967 the International Mineralogical Association approved the name designation switzerite, in honor of George Switzer.
Switzer later served as director of research for the Gemological Institute of America and as a U.S. Geological Survey mineralogist.
Read more about this topic: George Switzer (mineralogist)
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