Dawson, Sir John William (1820-1899), was a Canadian geologist and educator. His major work was Acadian Geology (first published in 1855), a study of rock formations in Nova Scotia. The book vigorously opposed the theory of naturalist Louis Agassiz that a huge sheet of ice once covered large regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Dawson incorrectly believed that glaciers had covered only small areas of the earth.
Dawson also wrote about coal deposits and the fossils they contain. He discovered important early amphibians and reptiles. In addition, Dawson published on natural history, agriculture, evolution, fossils, and the relationship between science and religion.
Dawson was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia. He served as principal of McGill University in Montreal from 1855 to 1893. In 1882, Dawson became the first president of the Royal Society of Canada.
