On January 3, 2016 our community lost a faithful ally. Dr. Irene Boland of Winthrop University passed away. Irene spoke at the 2006 Gen. Nathanael Greene Symposium on Eutaw Springs on the influence of geology and topography on the battle. She was quite active in historical and geological research, blending her interests through projects like mapping for the Cowpens National Battlefield. Much of her research focused on the impacts of geology, weather, and terrain on troop movements in the South during the Revolution.
Many of our readers may not know of her diverse interests and background: She completed American Society of Clinical Pathologists hospital laboratory training at Charlotte Memorial (now Carolinas Medical Center). She then worked as a technologist and taught medical technology students for a number of years, in both the special chemistry laboratory at Charlotte Memorial and then as supervisor of special chemistry at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte. She then earned an M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in geology at the University of South Carolina. She is probably best known to our circle for her work as a geology professor at Winthrop University, her alma matter.
Irene will always be remembered for her passion, determination, and love of learning. She and historian Bert Dunkerly had just completed a book on the battle of Eutaw Springs, due out this fall by USC Press. Bert and Irene divided the work: he focusing on troop movements, and her studying the springs, the terrain, and how the geography and geology influenced the campaign and battle. The book will be a lasting tribute to her dedication and enthusiasm.