Prof. Dr. Gerald M. Friedman

VICE PRESIDENT 1971-1975, PRESIDENT 1975-1978

When I served as Vice President of the SEPM, a request came to SEPM Council from the Bureau of IAS (International Association of Sedimentologists) to extend an invitation to hold the ninth International Sedimentological Congress in 1975 in the United States. My predecessor as SEPM President, Ed Dapples (1906-1977), asked me as Vice President to devote my time to this invitation. SEPM Council stipulated that because of a summer schedule, climatic constraints forced the Congress to a site in the northern United States. SEPM Council was very strict: the invitation must be backed by financial responsibility, formal invitations from the president of the host institution, the mayor of the host city, and a detailed analysis of convention facilities, hotel and dormitory spaces, food services, and other relevant amenities. I spent days on the phone and wrote letters to find a host for the Congress to no avail. There were simply no takers.

SEPM President Ed Dapples challenged me: 'how about your institution serving as host,' he said: 'you are located in an unsurpassed summer resort area where cultural facilities include the New York City Ballet, Philadelphia Symphony, and summer opera. All this culture is located in the midst of a beautifully scenic geologic setting: the Taconics (Caledonides), Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, the Mohawk and Hudson River Valleys-all in an area in which, historically, sedimentary geology emerged in North America and the 19th century pioneers established their stratigraphic framework.' Somehow I succumbed and accepted his challenge, and ultimately presented to SEPM Council a report which weighed several pounds, complete with statistical data, statements of financial responsibility, and signatures from the President of my University, the Director of the New York State Geologic Survey, the mayor of the City of Albany (capital city of the State of New York), and the mayor of Troy. SEPM Council was elated and sent the whole package to the IAS Bureau which according to the understanding of SEPM Council formalized its acceptance. SEPM Council spent considerable time at its meetings to act positively on this IAS request. SEPM Council took this request for an invitation very seriously.

In 1971 at the Eighth International Sedimentological Congress in Heidelberg, Germany, the IAS President asked me to extend formally the S.E.P.M invitation to the General Assembly, but a revolt was underway. These were the now long-forgotten days of easy money at academic institutions in the United States, and many young American sedimentologists attended this congress with all expenses paid. They objected to the next meeting being held in the United States, because they cherished another opportunity for a trip to Europe. As a result of their larger participation they had strong voting power, and an on-the-spot invitation (illegal according to IAS statutes) was drawn up to hold the ninth International Sedimentological Congress in Nice, France. The General Assembly accepted this illegal invitation and spurned that of SEPM. I was nominated and elected IAS Vice President.

When news reached SEPM, its council was stunned and in an ugly mood. By coincidence SEPM just then happened to be in an expansionist frame. It had decided to establish European sections and requests had already arrived from European countries for SEPM affiliation as regional sections. “We will beat them on their own turf became the cry”. However at that time I wore two hats: (1) that of SEPM Vice President and soon-to-be elected SEPM President-Elect, and thereafter SEPM President and (2) that of IAS Vice President. This dual function allowed me to stem the tide of reaction because I could counter offensive proposed actions and remarks by saying 'You are now addressing the IAS Vice President.' To overcome IAS's snub at SEPM and improve relationships, we established a SEPM-IAS Coordinating Committee on which I served for many years. We formulated an agreement whereby an officer of SEPM would sit in on IAS Bureau meetings and an IAS officer would attend SEPM Council meetings. For six or seven years as a member of this Coordinating Committee I attended SEPM Council meetings twice a year as well as the semi-annual or annual IAS Bureau meetings in Europe.

After SEPM approved the formation of a Coordinating Committee, I set out for Paris, France to meet with IAS President Mme Gubler, but she was not at her home base, she was chairing an IAS Bureau meeting at Oxford, England, of which I had not been notified on the assumption that being from North America I would not attend. When Mme Gubler returned to France we met at the department of the Geological Society of France to lay the groundwork for the SEPM-IAS Coordinating Committee.

During my four years as IAS Vice President, the Bureau searched for a sponsor for its ninth International Sedimentological Congress to be held in 1978. Once again there were no takers. All kinds of leads proved unsuccessful. In 1973, President Mme Gubler asked me to go to Israel and request the Geological Survey of Israel to extend an invitation. To be honest I did not think that I would meet with success. However I convinced the Director of the Geological Survey, Eli Zohar, of the opportunity to hold a Congress in Israel.

In 1975 Israel's invitation was accepted by the General Assembly at the Ninth International Sedimentological Congress in Nice, France. At that Congress I was elected IAS President for the 1975-78 terms. During my period as IAS President, membership of IAS increased from 886 in 1975 to 1,358 in 1978. However, before the Congress the association was shaken by fireworks as the Arab geological community exploded. Letters explain the problems and objections.

Letter From Libya

From: Chairman, Dept. Of Geology
Faculty of Science
University of Tripoli
P.O. Box 656
Tripoli- Libyan Arab Republic

3rd April 1976

On behalf of all Libyan Arab Geologists, the Earth Science Society of Libya and the Geology Department of the University of Tripoli, I would like to express our strong deplorement of the ruling of I.S.A. [IAS] for holding their next meeting in the occupied land of Palestine. We detest and disapprove of such a scientific meeting which is sponsored by the Zionist Colonist Illegitimate State of Israel.

The reasons behind our decision rest on logical and. sound grounds. By this decision, the general bodies of International Sedimentologists who are expected to be a non-discriminating group of human beings, have, by this ruling, deprived all Arab members of their right to attend the coming meeting.

We expect that it is the obligation of the executive committee of the I.S.A. [IAS] to rule out a place such as occupied Palestine from any consideration before it is voted upon, simply on the grounds that prospective delegates from 24 Arab countries representing 120 million people will not be allowed to safely and peacefully attend the conference.

This ruling and other related activities of your organization have influenced my decision to reject any affiliation with your organization or any co-operation, especially that of accepting your invitation to be a correspondent for Libyan Geologists.

I would like to remind your organization that, any person accepting, or being accepted as a representative of Libya without the official authorization of the Earth Science Society of Libya will be a clear violation of International Law.

I would request that you convey this message of Protest to all members attending that Conference and meanwhile, I hope that in the near future such a meeting will be held in the non-sectarial, non-discriminate and non-colonialist State of Palestine, where members of all races, creeds and religions could meet in a peaceful atmosphere to discuss matters that influence human progress and brotherhood.

Very truly yours,

O.S.Hammuda,
Chairman,
Department of Geology.

cc: Dean, Faculty of Science,
" Director, Industrial Research Centre,
" Secretary of Earth Science Soc. of Libya.
" Arab Geologists Association, Baghdad

Interestingly at about this time Exxon in Libya asked me to visit in Tripoli, Libya. The request was forwarded to me while I was in Israel. I flew to Switzerland and on to Rome. My flight from Rome to Libya astonished me. I was the only passenger on the flight. As the plane started to drive, a car stopped it and a second passenger entered the plane. This passenger had represented Libya in central Europe at a meeting of the world’s petroleum-exporting countries. We visited on the flight, but soon arrived in Tripoli. On arrival Libya’s dictator Mohamed Kadafi greeted us. Kadafi is the highest statesman I ever met and spent ten minutes with him discussing geology.

After visiting with him I looked for the airport’s bathroom. Libya at this time had become very conservative and all non-Arabic signs had been removed. So how do you find a bathroom? I had studied Arabic many years ago, but still was lost. Finally I saw a place that could be a bathroom. I stood outside the door. After several minutes a man came out. His appearance saved the situation.

Letter From Iraq

Arab Geologists Association
Al-Mansoor, Baghdad,
P.O. Box 3092 Al-Sadoon,
Tel. GECARAB-BAGHDAD,
IRAQ

13th January 1976

In July, 1975 the Arab members of your Association informed us about your intention to have the 10th International Congress of Sedimentology in "Israel". In case the-congress takes place in such a place all the Sedimentologists of the 22 Arabic states will not be able to attend the meeting. In addition others from the Islamic, 3rd world and non-allied countries will join the Arab sedimentologists, not to mention the security risks in such a place.

In this case, a large number of geologists (most of them working in the field of Sedimentology) from the middle eastern countries will not be able to contribute to this congress. Accordingly, we think if your committee considers the Iranian offer to hold the congress in Teheran it will satisfy all the sedimentologists. Otherwise we will be glad to invite you to any Arab country.

I am confident that you will appreciate our problem and have the 10th congress assembled in another country. We hope you will let us know as soon as possible.
Thanking you in advance.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Sammi Sherif
General Secretary of the Arab
Geologists Association

Similar letters arrived from the Jordanian Geologists’ Association of Amman, Jordan, and Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research, Kuwait.

Reply From International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS), General Secretary Dr Harold G. Reading, Oxford University, England

Dr. Sammi Sherif,
General Secretary of the Arab Geologists Association,
At-Mansoor, Baghdad,
P.O. Box 3092 AI-Sadoon,
IRAQ.

6 April, 1976

“Dear Dr. Sammi Sherif,

Since I wrote to you last week I have received a copy of your letter to me from Dr. R. Assefi. I can now reply.

I appreciate and sympathize with the effects on some Arab geologists of the decision of the International Association of Sedimentologists to hold its next Congress in Israel.

However, there is no possibility of the Association changing its decision. Our Statutes state that an invitation for a Congress must reach the General Secretary 6 months before the previous Congress and a decision is made by members of the Association at the Assembly held during the Congress.

Prior to our Congress last year in France we made overtures to several countries, hoping that we might receive an invitation and some countries expressed interest in doing so. However, in the end the only country which put forward an invitation was Israel. At the Congress we received a sudden invitation from Iran, but this was not formulated properly and our rules forbade us to consider this. In any case I very much doubt if members would have been happy with it since Iran had only one member of the Association. At the Assembly meeting the Israeli proposal was debated. Some members expressed doubts, but at the vote there was an overwhelming majority to accept the invitation. There is no way the Bureau or Council of the Association can alter this vote of the Assembly.

Before considering the Israeli proposal the Council had considered very seriously the two matters that you raise. Security is a risk, but unfortunately as we all well know it is not confined to Israel.

It is a risk in London, Belfast and Munich and we did not consider it to be greater than in many other cities. The question of participation of Arab geologists is the second concern. We have considerable sympathy for the individuals who may be affected and the Association finds itself in a difficult situation. We feel that we cannot put ourselves into a position of being unable to meet in a country because another country does not allow its nationals to go there. Whatever the merits of the case we have to accept de facto governments and in no way can we pronounce political judgments on individual countries. We have, however, one important principle and that is that the host country for any meeting allows nationals from any country to enter for the meeting. This Israel does.

We are concerned at the possibility that some members may not be allowed to attend the Congress. However, we sincerely hope that this does not happen. Our policy is to help lower political barriers and not encourage them. We are scientists and our political opinions are our private affair. In our Association we are not concerned even with the nationality of our members. We only take account of their country of residence.

We also hope that at the Congress there is movement across at least some of the frontiers in the Middle East. The organizers are inviting neighboring countries to offer excursions. For example Dr. Motamed of Teheran, our only Iranian member other than Dr. Chilingar has been invited to do so. I hope you can bring all your authority to support the organization of these excursions.

We are also, of course, looking forward to the next Congress in 1982, for which preliminary plans should be made now. We hope very much that an invitation from Iran may materialize for that time”.

The tenth International Sedimentological Congress in Jerusalem, Israel, in 1978, was a splendid success. At that Congress, I became Past-President and a “has been”. However, I was called into service for the eleventh International Sedimentological Congress in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. I served on the excursions committee as field-trip leader, and co-author of a guidebook for a six-day field excursion.

During my period as IAS President, membership of IAS increased from 886 in 1975 to 1,358 in 1978. Our field trips after the 1978 Congress visited Cyprus, and Turkey, in addition to Israel (note guidebook to title page: Figure 2).