William Johnson Sollas

Professor William Johnson Sollas FRS FGS FRSE
Born	(1849-05-30)30 May 1849 Birmingham
Died	20 October 1936 (1936-10-21) (aged 87) Oxford
Nationality	British
Alma mater	St John's College, Cambridge
Known for	invention of the diffusion column
Children	Hertha Sollas Igerna Sollas
Awards	Bigsby Medal (1893) Wollaston Medal (1907) Royal Medal (1914)
Scientific career
Fields	geology and anthropology
Institutions	University College, Bristol Trinity College Dublin University of Oxford

William Johnson Sollas (30 May 1849 – 20 October 1936) was a British geologist and anthropologist. After studying at the City of London School, the Royal College of Chemistry and the Royal School of Mines he matriculated to St. John's College, Cambridge, where he was awarded First Class Honours in geology. After some time spent as a University Extension lecturer he became lecturer in Geology and Zoology at University College, Bristol in 1879, where he stayed until he was offered the post of Professor of Geology at Trinity College Dublin. In 1897 he was offered the post of Professor of Geology at the University of Oxford, which he accepted.

Considered "one of the last true geological polymaths",^[1] Sollas worked in a number of areas including the study of sponges, brachiopods and petrological research, and during his lifetime published 180 papers and wrote three books. He also invented the serial sectioning device for the study of fossils.^[2] His biggest contribution at Oxford was in expanding the University geology department, hiring new Demonstrators and Lecturers and expanding the facilities available to students. Described as "eccentric" in his final years, he left much of the running of the Department to J.A. Douglas while he concentrated on research, finally dying in office on 20 October 1936.