William Thomas Pecora

William Thomas Pecora
8th Director of the U.S. Geological Survey
In office 1965 (1965)–1971 (1971)
Preceded by	Thomas Brennan Nolan
Succeeded by	Vincent Ellis McKelvey
Under Secretary of the Interior
In office 1971 (1971)–1972 (1972)
Preceded by	Fred J. Russell
Succeeded by	John C. Whitaker
Personal details
Born	(1913-02-01)February 1, 1913 Belleville, New Jersey, USA
Died	July 19, 1972(1972-07-19) (aged 59) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma mater	Princeton University (BSE) Harvard University (PhD)
Scientific career
Fields	Geochemistry mineralogy petrology
Institutions	U.S. Geological Survey
Thesis	Petrology and mineralogy of the western Bearpaw Mountains, Montana (1940)
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William Thomas Pecora II (February 1, 1913 – July 19, 1972) was an American geologist who served as 8th Director of the U.S. Geological Survey and later as Under Secretary of the Interior. Pecora had a successful career in both scientific and athletic spheres—he completed in fencing at the 1936 Summer Olympics, and during his lifetime was elected to both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. He was an early figure in what is now the Landsat program, and the William T. Pecora Award for remote sensing is named after him.