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John Shannon Steinhart died on Friday, April 4, 2003, with his children at his side. He was born in Chicago on June 3, 1929. After graduating from Harvard, where he majored in economics and English literature and starred on the swimming team, he served four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy. In 1955 he came to Madison to study with George Woollard in the Department of Geology and Geophysics. His doctoral dissertation, Explosion Studies of Continental Structure, was completed in 1960. However, the highlight of his graduate student days was related not to explosion seismology but to music. An amateur cellist and devotee of the Pro Arte Quartet, he was the ringleader of a group of wacky chamber musicians who, during one spring break, played all the Haydn string quartets nonstop, from Op. 1 through Op. 103, a"marathon" that received nationwide press coverage. In 1960 John joined the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, where his research addressed problems in seismology and heat flow. During parts of the Johnson and Nixon administrations he was on the staff of the president's science advisor, in charge of energy-related issues. In 1970, plans for a new Institute for Environmental Studies lured him back to Madison. He played a major role in launching the IES and was professor of geology and environmental studies until his retirement in 1991. From 1983 to 1991 he chaired the IES Energy Analysis and Policy Program. He supervised the graduate work of three students in the Geology Department and 31 in the IES, and served on the committees of 32 others. With Carol Steinhart, he coauthored three textbooks on energy. John's eclectic interests included music, poetry, photography, the philosophy of science, fishing, gardening, golf, and rehabilitating old houses, and he always had a cherished dog companion. He loved Lake Superior and the northern forest, but in his retirement he also grew to love the Rio Grande. He is survived by a daughter, Gail of Ithaca, NY; a daughter, Martha, her husband, Jeff, and a granddaughter, Mariana, of St. Paul, MN; a son, Geoff, and his fiancee, Kristi, of Columbus, OH, and Ithaca, NY; a sister, Jane, and her husband, Jim, of Chicago, IL; four nieces and their families; and numerous friends and devoted students whose lives he touched in so many ways. A private family service is planned. John's memory may be honored by gifts to the Paulu Pro Arte Fund through the University of Wisconsin School of Music.
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