He was an excellent teacher and research scientist, had a broad vision for Oceanography and the Earth Sciences that extended well beyond the campus confines
Joe S. Creager joined the Faculty in February 1958 following an interview with the Chairman, Richard Fleming. Fleming wanted Joe to develop an academic program in Geological Oceanography to add breadth to the recently created Department of Oceanography. When Joe arrived on campus there were two graduate students looking for guidance in Geological Oceanography and a fledgling Oceanography undergraduate population. Joe began teaching in March 1958, started to search for additional Geological Oceanography faculty, and began geologically-based research studies throughout Puget Sound and the coast of Washington. The first new faculty arrived in 1959 and in 1962 there were 13 graduate students and over 100 undergraduates. By 1967 Geological Oceanography consisted of 11 faculty and encompassed the subjects of sedimentology, geochemistry, geophysics, micropaleontology, and mineralogy. The research program had expanded to include the Chukchi and Bering Seas and later the Columbia River Estuary and adjacent continental shelf.
From the day of Joe’s arrival on campus, he and his wife Barbara tried to create a sense of family and community among faculty, staff, and graduate students within Oceanography. Their efforts included, to name a few: hosting Thanksgiving dinners for single faculty and graduate students; annual costume parties for the group (e.g., Roaring 20's poker party, Space Odyssey, Toga party, etc.); baseball game challenges between Geo-Ocean and other ocean programs; wine tasting parties. It was always fun to attend these parties and assist, for example, the four Turkish naval officers then in our Masters program and their wives in getting ready for the costume parties and watching their enjoyment. These activities had the desired bonding effect.
Joe’s enthusiasm and experience led to an invitation from NSF to become Program Director for Oceanography, and upon his return from Washington, D.C. in 1966, he accepted the position of Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences which was expanded to include Research, Facilities and Computing, and later included Earth Sciences.
During those early years, and after his time with NSF, Joe had a dominant role in attracting numerous national programs to affiliate with Oceanography and the broader campus including the collaboration with the USC&GS to form the Joint Oceanographic Research Group (JORG) which when transferred to the newly created NOAA, evolved into what is now JISAO. He was the driving force for the University’s membership on the worldwide research effort JOIDES, Joint Oceanographic Institutions Deep Earth Studies project, and served as co-chief scientist on Leg 19 of the drilling ship Glomar Challenger. His research in the Northeast Pacific Ocean was recognized by the naming of Creager Ridge on the continental slope off the mouth of the Columbia River.
In 1981 the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences (COFS) was formed and Oceanography was transferred to the new college (COFS). At that time Joe, along with several other faculty members, elected to stay in the College of Arts and Sciences although Joe continued to support graduate students in Oceanography. After 1981 Joe's presence in Oceanography slowly diminished; however, he remained active in the College of Arts and Sciences. Joe's single-handed effort in the early development of Geological Oceanography (now Marine Geology and Geophysics) and efforts in attracting affiliations with outside science programs have had a major and lasting influence in Oceanography. He was an excellent teacher and research scientist, had a broad vision for Oceanography and the Earth Sciences that extended well beyond the campus confines, and began the development of a world-class Geological Oceanography program at the University of Washington which continues to this day.
