Materials are arranged in the order created during the interview process with the first file containing administrative materials created before, during, and after the interview.
Accession No. PA.2002.0029: Eugene L. Boudette, 2002 October
[identification of item], Eugene L. Boudette Oral History, SPEC.PA.56.0131, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University
Contains audiocassettes.
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Processed by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2023 November; Finding aid written by: Tricia McEldowney, 2024 January
Dr. Eugene L. Boudette (1926-2007) graduated high school in 1944 and joined the United States Navy, serving until 1946. He then attended the University of New Hampshire where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geology in 1951. Boudette’s first job after graduation was with the New England Division of the Army Corps of Engineers. He was stationed in Greenland where he completed test ice drilling for what would eventually become Camp Century (a United States Arctic military scientific research base).
In 1953, Boudette was hired to work for the Geologic Division of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). While employed for the USGS, he obtained a Master of Arts degree in geology from Dartmouth College in 1959. After the completion of his master's degree, the USGS assigned Boudette to the United States Antarctic Research Program. His first trip to Antarctica was in 1959 to partake in the Marie Byrd Land Traverse (1959-1960). Boudette was the group’s geologist and took rock samples along the way. While near the Clark Mountains, he discovered granite similar to that which can be found in the eastern continental United States. The traverse was such a success that the USGS approved the plan for a Victoria Land Traverse to take place in 1960-1961; however, issues concerning logistics, communications, and weather delayed the expedition. Before returning to Antarctica, Boudette was required to undergo a medical check during which he was diagnosed with diabetes. As a result, the USGS disqualified him from returning to Antarctica.
Boudette earned his Doctorate in geology from Dartmouth College in 1978. He continued to work for the USGS in various locations in the United States until his retirement in 1985. He was appointed New Hampshire State Geologist in 1986 and served until 2000. The Boudette Peaks in Antarctica are named for Dr. Eugene L. Boudette.
The Eugene L. Boudette Oral History, dated 2002-2009, contains audio recordings, notes, and transcripts of the interview between Boudette and Brian Shoemaker conducted on October 27, 2002. The notes are dated before, during, and after the interview, and the interview transcript was completed in 2009. This interview was a part of a series of polar oral histories sponsored by American Polar Society and Ohio State University's Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program, with funding from the National Science Foundation. Major topics discussed include ice drilling in the Arctic in Greenland, the Marie Byrd Land Traverse (1959-1960), discovering granite in the Clark Mountains in Antarctica, planning the Victoria Land Traverse (1960-1961), and his diabetes diagnosis.