Nevin M. Fenneman was its first chairman and, for a while, its only faculty member. His landform classification map of the U.S., published in 1916, became the most widely used map of its type, and his two-volume work on the physiography (landforms) of the eastern and western U.S. became a classic in the field of geomorphology.

For the next several decades, the department grew in reputation as it continued to attract students and a number of nationally known faculty members, such as Walter Bucher, Kenneth E. Caster, Otto von Schlichten, and John Rich. In the early years, a small group of scholars established excellent programs in geomorphology, tectonics and structural geology, petroleum and sedimentary geology, and paleontology.

Since then, the geology department has continued to grow and to keep pace with the rapidly changing field it represents. In the 1970s, the addition of more faculty and modern, well-equipped laboratories allowed the department of geology to expand its course offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate level. As a result, the number of students annually receiving Baccalaureate, Masters and Doctoral degrees increased."