In Memory of John B. "Jack" Dunlap
1933–2012
John Bettes "Jack" Dunlap, Jr. was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, attended Woodrow Wilson High School, and Texas A&M University, where he was awarded Bachelor's and Master's degrees of science in geology. He served in the U.S. Army in the 100th Heavy Tank Battalion of the First Armored Division from 1955 to 1957, a unit which he dearly loved.
He began his professional career as a geologist and paleontologist with Humble O&R in New Orleans in 1957, working Gulf Coast foraminifera, until 1966 when he became a consulting paleontologist. He joined T. Wayne Campbell as one of the original partners of PaleoData, Inc., a company which became recognized as a world-wide leader in stratigraphy and sedimentology. He retired in 1989 and spent the remainder of his life doing the things he enjoyed most: reading, writing, and maintaining his gardens—both geological rock specimens and exotic flowering plants, growing many varieties of orchids and bromeliads. He recently completed the Master Gardner Program.
Among Jack's professional affiliations were memberships and participation in the AAPG, The Geological Society of America, and the New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, and Lafayette geological societies. In 1973, his presentation to the New Orleans Society, "Pleistocene depositional patterns of western offshore Louisiana," was recognized as a ground-breaking interpretation of the Pleistocene stratigraphy and sedimentation. His concepts of shelf-margin deposition as a primary target were put forth in a proprietary study in 1968 and were used as a guide by many oil companies in their Pleistocene exploration and future offshore development.
As a charter member of the GCSSEPM, he served as President in 1966 and was responsible for the study group that set up the Paleontology Committees of the Houston and New Orleans geological societies. He presented papers to the GCSSEPM Research Conference and to the Geological Society of America's annual convention. In 1989, he was awarded an honorary membership in the GCSSEPM, an honor well deserved.
Jack was a man of many talents and interests. He was an active member in his Episcopal church groups and the Boy Scouts of America. He was a founding member of the Eisenhower Center at The University of New Orleans (the forerunner of the World War II Museum) and served on the board of the Confederate Memorial Hall. He also wrote extensively about the 112th Cavalry Regiment of the Texas National Guard, the unit which his father commanded. These books have been documented in several books and doctoral theses.
Many honors were bestowed upon Jack, including the Jefferson Davis medal from the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the George Washington award from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, and the Medal of Honor from the Daughters of the American Revolution for his historical research. Jack was a 50-year member of the Civil War Round Table of New Orleans, of which he served as President and which honored him with the Charles L. Dufour Award in 1995. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the General Society of The War of 1812, and the Sons of the Confederate Veterans.
Jack was a member of the New Orleans Opera Club and held memberships in several carnival organizations. He was a life-long runner, competing in road races and triathlons, and finished the Mardi Gras Marathon in 1980.
John Bettes "Jack" Dunlap, Jr. died January 27 at the age of 79 at his home in Harahan, Louisiana. He is survived by his wife, Alma Peters Dunlap; son, John B. Dunlap, III; daughter, Anne Dunlap Honeywell, and five grandchildren.
Written by Carlo C. Christina;
reprinted with the permission
of the New Orleans Geological Society