Geologist, artist Marvin Mangus dies

Retired geologist and artist Marvin Dale Mangus, 84, died Feb. 20, 2009, at Providence Alaska Medical Center.

A memorial service was held Feb. 26 at Anchor Park United Methodist Church.

Marvin was born Sept. 13, 1924, in Altoona, Pa. He received his Master of Science degree in geology from Penn State University in 1946.

In 1947, he joined the U.S. Geological Survey’s Navy Oil Unit and commenced his lifelong work of investigating the geology of the North Slope of Alaska searching for oil. He did exploratory Alaska field work for the government from 1947-1958, when he joined Atlantic Refining Co., working two years in Guatemala and two in Calgary, Alberta. He was transferred to Anchorage in 1962, becoming senior surface geologist in charge of the Arctic Slope. After the Atlantic-Richfield merger in 1966, he was part of the team of people who made the landmark discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay. Marvin had the distinction of marking the spot where Prudhoe Bay No. 1, the discovery well, was drilled. He worked as a geologist on this well when the first oil appeared in well cuttings and also on the Sag River State No. 1 well, confirming the vast size of the super-giant oil field in 1968. After the Prudhoe Bay discoveries he left ARCO to form a partnership of consulting geologists. He continued working independently until the early 1990s.

Marvin had a noteworthy parallel career as an artist, painting landscapes of historic Alaska. His paintings were chosen three times for the Art for the Parks and he had numerous one-man shows, including several at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. His paintings are part of corporate, government and private collections including the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.

“Marvin was a loving husband, father, scientist, artist, explorer, Methodist, scholar, scientist and storyteller.”

Highlights of Marvin’s life and careers have been recounted in newspapers, books, professional publications, as well as TV, DVD and VHS documentaries.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Jane; sons, Alfred and Donald; nephews, John Brady Snyder, Jeff Snyder and Gregory Snyder.

See the complete obituary at www.alaskafuneralhomes.net/; choose Kehl’s Legacy.

In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to Anchor Park Methodist Church, Hospice of Anchorage, Access Alaska or to the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation.

—Anchorage Daily News