Milo Backus

Milo Morlan Backus III (May 3, 1932 – May 25, 2018) was an American geophysicist.

Milo Backus
Born	Milo Morlan Backus III (1932-05-03)May 3, 1932 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	May 25, 2018(2018-05-25) (aged 86) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Occupation	Geophysicist

Life and career

Backus was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Milo Morlan Backus II and Dora Ette Dare. He attended and graduated from Thornton Township High School.^[1] After graduating, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning his PhD degree in 1956 in geochemistry.^[2]

Backus served as the Wallace E. Pratt Professor of Geophysics at the University of Texas at Austin from 1975 to 1998.^[2][3][4] During his years as a professor, in 1982, he and geologist Robert L. Folk were named the Dave P. Carlton Centennial Professor by the University of Texas System Board of Regents.^[5]

Death

Backus died on May 25, 2018, in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 86.^[6][7]

References

1. "Milo Backus". U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016. Retrieved July 11, 2025 – via Ancestry.com.   (subscription required)
2. "Remembering Milo Backus". University of Texas at Austin. June 6, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
3. "UT's Backus SEG president". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. November 9, 1979. p. 21. Retrieved July 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.  
4. "Milo Backus Obituary (1932-2018)". Austin American-Statesman. June 10, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2025 – via Legacy.com.
5. "UT announces creation of professionships". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. June 20, 1982. p. 20. Retrieved July 17, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.  
6. "Creating Living Memorials for the Bureau". Bureau of Economic Geology. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
7. "Milo Backus III". Echovita. Retrieved July 11, 2025.