Edward Hitchcock of Deerfield, Massachusetts, son of Justin Hitchcock (1752-1822), decided at an early age not to follow his father’s trade of hatter. Educated in town schools, including Deerfield Academy, Hitchcock took an interest in science, particularly astronomy. While principal of Deerfield Academy from 1815-1819, he published a series of almanacs. He left Deerfield to study divinity at Yale College and served as pastor of a Congregational parish in Conway, Massachusetts, from 1821-1825. The next year he accepted a faculty position at Amherst College in nearby Amherst, Massachusetts, where he taught geology, mineralogy, and natural science. In 1844 he became president of the college, a post he held for ten years. During his long tenure at Amherst Edward Hitchcock also served as state geologist of Massachusetts. He is perhaps best known for popularizing geology.