A SEISMIC FORCE: The scientific innovation of Armand W. Forstall, S.J.
THE LEGACY OF FATHER ARMAND WILLIAM FORSTALL, S.J., IS RECORDED IN THE ANNALS OF REGIS UNIVERSITY SCIENCE HISTORY, INCLUDING 43 YEARS OF SERVICE ON THE FACULTY. HE IS ONE OF COUNTLESS JESUITS AROUND THE WORLD AND AT REGIS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO IMPORTANT ADVANCEMENTS IN THE SCIENCE FIELD AND IN SEISMOLOGY. In 1885, Father Forstall arrived at the College of the Sacred Heart in Morrison, Colo., where he taught mathematics. Leaving for a brief stint at Las Vegas College in New Mexico, he returned to the College of the Sacred Heart in 1888 (which by then had moved to Denver) to teach physics, chemistry and mathematics. He started the seismic station at the school and served as its director from 1909 to 1934. In 1920, the College of the Sacred Heart was renamed Regis College. Father Forstall was born in France in 1859 and originally planned a career as a government engineer, but decided to join the novitiate in 1872. He was educated at the University of Douai, St. Stanislaus’ College in Paris and at Woodstock, Md. Early in his career he taught at many institutions including sister Jesuit schools Georgetown and Holy Cross. 22 |
Spring 2011
Father Joseph V. Downey, S.J., wrote in Forstall’s obituary that “[h]is main subject of interest was ore analysis, which brought him into contact with most of Colorado’s foremost miners, including Charles Poulot,” with whom he co-discovered Colorado’s uranium ore carnotite. An article noted of Forstall that his greatest contribution to Colorado was in rectifying a false rumor that the state’s radium industry was not as strong as the European product. In 1911, Colorado produced more than one-half of the radium in the world, so the rumor undoubtedly would have been detrimental to the industry. The Colorado Bureau of Mines asked Father Forstall to write an article for their publication to set the record straight. He did just that, and his efforts, which enabled the industry to continue thriving in Colorado, included communication with a pupil of Madame Currie in France. By Marycate Lumpp, assistant vice president for University Relations