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Robert Phillip Sharp was an expert on the geological surfaces of the Earth and the planet Mars. Sharp served as the chairman of the Division of Geological Sciences at Caltech from 1952 to 1968. He built the modern department and especially recruited new faculty in geochemistry, tectonic geomorphology, planetary science, and field geology.
Professor Sharp specialized in geomorphology and published heavily in glacial terrain, Mojave Desert terrain, and the Ruby-East Humboldt Range in north-central Nevada. Sharp retired in 1979 but continued leading geological field trips afterwards.
Robert Sharp was a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences and received the National Medal of Science from President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Professor Sharp won the Penrose Medal from the Geological Society of America, its highest honor. Sharp was honored by Caltech as the first named professorship in geology: the Robert Phillip Sharp Chair in Geology.
Sharp was a native son of Oxnard, California. He attended Caltech as an undergraduate, beginning in 1930, earning a bachelor's degree in geology, and master's degree in geology. While at Caltech, he was quarterback on the football team.
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