Robert H. Schmidt, Jr.
MAY 2, 1940 – JULY 26, 2017
Robert Howard Schmidt, Jr., Ph.D., passed away on Wednesday, July 26, 2017. He was 77 years old. He was a longtime resident and supporter of El Paso, Texas. Robert moved to El Paso in 1969, where he taught Physical Geography at UT-El Paso for 31 years. Upon his retirement, he earned the honor of Professor Emeritus. He had a passion for the desert, research, adventure, and traveling the world with his loving wife Merced Aida. Robert’s survivors are his wife for 32 years, his two sons, Howard (Jennifer), and Justin (Debbie) and his daughter, Andrea Kelly (Rodney) Brewer. He had 5 grandchildren, Bergen, Lauren, Gianna, Channing and Reid. His other survivors in crime are Lourdes Medina and Pilar Medina. Of course, being a geographer Rob loved to travel
Some of his adventures can be viewed on his obituary where he is seen with camels and elephants and more.
Memorial for Robert H. Schmidt, Jr.
Prof. Emeritus, ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ
Scholastically, Dr. Schmidt was very active. His publications were of regional topics, and he studied desert and desertification, mainly in the Basin & Range parts of Chihuahua and Sonora. His favorite was the mountains and communities of the northern Sierra Madre. He loved traveling there, collecting data, and knowing the people living there the Raramuri (Tarahumara).
One of his pet projects was to accurately measure the height of the Cascada Basaseachi in western Chihuahua. Since this waterfall is about 1000 feet tall, it was a difficult, dangerous task, and repeated attempts were necessary.
He was well known in the main offices of INEGI, the national geographic data producer of Mexico, with offices in Aguas Calientes. Through his activities and dedication, he convinced INEGI to make the ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Library a repository for their maps and information, a vital resource to this day. One widely used scientific product of his is ‘Sierra Tarahumara, Barrancas del Cobre’ (ISBN 0-937455-11-3) which contains a large, 2x3 feet, map from Chihuahua City to Hermosillo, Sonora, to Los Mochis, Sinaloa, an area which at the time was largely inaccessible and unmapped. It also contains descriptions in English and Spanish of the Sierra including details of the 7 immense canyons which characterize this Grand Canyon of Northern Mexico. Also included are climatic and elevation information for several sites, and some photographs. In addition, there is a vocabulary/phrase list of thirty items in English, Spanish, and Tarahumara. This invaluable document as added to in 2008 by ‘Maps and Guide to the Chihuahua-Pacific Railroad’ (ISBN 0-937455-12-1), which includes detailed maps of the railroad, a topographic profile of the rail line, a discussion of its route, a useful map of Chihuahua City, and some photos.
When he passed, he was in the middle of writing a definitive project on the geography of the northern Sierra Madre.
Several experiences/memories shared by his friends include the following.
Rob liked to share his knowledge and enthusiasm for travel in northern Mexico with his students and colleagues. On one memorable trip, co-lead with Dr. Spencer Shannon, Larry Wollschlager relates…
Tribute to our friend Robert Schmidt
Written by Larry Wollschlager
As a geology grad student, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Schmidt. We had a normal student professor relationship until we did a field trip to Mexico. I ended up in Dr. Schmidt’s vehicle as we waited for our travel papers to get processed. We watched a family try to unlock their car doors, with no success. Frustratedly, I finally asked the family if I could have a try. A simple re-bending of the cloth’s hanger from circular to a V shape caught the lock and everyone was happy. Dr. Schmidt was surprised I pulled that off so fast and effectively. I jokingly reminded him that I was from Chicago. That made sense to him, and he cracked up laughing. That single moment broke the ice, and we became true friends. We drove from mine to mine talking geography and geology and had beers at night at whatever establishment we could find. We went to Chihuahua City and the Santa Eulalia mine, to Delicias and the Naica mine, and to Placer de Guadalupe, so we hit a few beers along the way. Our sincere friendship and relationship endured until he left us. I really do miss his happy smile and laughs.
On another trip, about 1978, four vehicles, 12 students, led by Dr. Rob and Prof. Philip Goodell, we left El Paso for Chihuahua City. The mines of Santa Eulalia were visited, and then we headed south towards Torreon, but then headed east across the desert on unpaved and questionable roads, to Cuatro Cienagas. Here water springs forth from the desert and an unusual habitat is present, of long historical and prehistorical interest. Then an underground visit in a coal mine near Barroteran, Coahuila, was undertaken. Unusual permission was obtained in order to accomplish such a visit. A surface visit was made to the fluorspar deposits at Agua Chile, unusual. The next objective was to proceed north and cross the Rio Grande into west Texas at a little-known bridge called La Linda. Maps were not available of the area, and this was a time long before Google Earth. After a long drive, a stopping place was reached where the road subdivided into 4 branches. Which to take. Discussion, speculation. Different opinions. Each vehicle went off on a different road. John Paul Jones (his real name) was driving with Rob. We did not have walkie-talkies, and of course, no cell phones. Crazy. About 2 hours later our van was descending towards the river, and, OH! one of our vans was now seen far ahead, crossing the La Linda bridge. When we arrive there and looked back, a dust cloud could be seen in another direction, and, yes, it was the third of our vehicles. After a brief wait, another dust cloud appeared, and eventually we hardily greeted each other, and successfully went on our way. Tense times in unmapped territory.
Claudia Rivers, head of the Special Collections at the ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Library, recalls seeing Rob setting out for some exercise in the area now occupied by the Swim Center with his pith helmet and sunscreen.
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