David H. Sanborn

Cartographer with the Defense Mapping Agency, DMA

Former Manager and now a Geological Consultant to Amethyst Galleries, Inc.

If you really want my life story, read on, however I must warn you that it is dry, boring, dull and of interest only to my mother.

Remember, I warned you.

I have always been interested in science and of course loved dinosaurs as a kid. But I never developed a real love for geology until my high school years and even then, I did not consider it something I would study in college. I worked at the Dayton Museum of Natural History in Dayton, Ohio from the time I was just twelve. It had a wonderful live animal exihibit. I volunteered to clean the animal cages and assist the staff for two years before becoming one of the Junior Staff at 14. At the time, being paid $1/hour and working at a museum was a real thrill for me. I stayed with the museum through all of my high school years and most of my college years and the museum is where I developed my diverse science background. I owe the museum a lot, even if I did get passed over for the Curator of Geology position (well I was only 25 years old).

In college I entered as a chemistry student, which had applications to many of the fields that I was interested in, ie Biology, Astronomy, Geology and of course Chemistry. Chemistry was good for me and I learned alot. Organic Chemistry was a bear and I only recieved B's and C's, but I was proud of the grades I recieved. In my Sophmore year at Ohio State, I took many other science courses such as Astronomy (easy A), and freshman Geology (really easy A). I liked the Astronomy, but the second class, Astronomy II, was heavy in physics and I only managed a B, no astronomy degree for me! The geology was easy and interesting so I tried a Sophmore crystallography class for geology majors. Symmetry of crystals really fasinated me. Well I loved the class and blew the curve for the rest of the class who were mostly geology majors. At that point I decided to major in geology and with my chemistry background, I had a genuine benifit when it came to understanding crystals. I even made a diamond structure model with my organic chemistry model set.

I eventually transfered to Wright State University, changed my major to geology and got married all within the space of three months. I also went back to working at the musuem as a Museum Apprentice with a new found interest in geology department. I became very interested in the geology of SW Ohio especially the Ordovician Period fauna while I still concentrated on crystallography as my main study at WSU. I began to build a small mineral and fossil collection that is now a real source of pride to me.

It was at WSU that I saw a notice from Steve Covey asking for geology students to work at a soon to be opened Amethyst Galleries. I always wanted a rock shop, similar to ones I had seen in Columbus, to open in Dayton. So I called Steve, we met, I liked the store concept, He needed people who knew minerals and he hired me that evening. He and his boss, Doris, the real owner of the store, appreciated the extra interest I showed in the running of the shop and made me their manager. This gave me a rock hound's dream, to be running a real rock shop. The buying trips to the Tuscon and Denver shows put me in mineral heaven. What a wonderful assortment of rocks, minerals and fossils! And you could buy them too! What a fun job I had.

And then I was offered a career opportunity with DMA, where I am working today. I really miss the rock shop and if DMA were in the Dayton area, I would try to work at Amethyst Galleries at least part time. Oh well, at least I can help Steve with his Internet Rock Shop!