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Lardner Vanuxem, a geologist, was born in Philadelphia on 23 July, 1792 and died in Bristol, Pennsylvania on 25 January, 1848. In 1819 he graduated from the Ecole des mines (School of Mines)in Paris and soon after his return to the United States was asked to take the Chair of Chemistry and Mineralogy in South Carolina College. In 1826 he retired from the College and devoted his attention exclusively to geology. Professor Vanuxem's private collection of mineral and geological specimens was considered at the time of his death as "the largest, best arranged, and most valuable private collection in the country." He was a member of the Philadelphia academy of natural sciences, and of other science organizations. Vanuxem is credited with helping to organize the Association of American Geologists, which is now represented by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He published numerous papers on scientific subjects in such eminent journals as the "American Journal of Science”.