Lawson was born on July 25, 1861, in
Anstruther, Scotland. He moved to
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with his parents at age six. In 1883, he received his B.A. degree in natural science from the
University of Toronto. the United States
National Academy of Sciences in 1924, and the
American Philosophical Society in 1925. He was president of the
Geological Society of America in 1926. He was a consulting geologist for the construction of the
Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s. His home in the
La Loma Park area of the
Berkeley Hills in
Berkeley, California, called the "
Andrew Cowper Lawson House" (1908), was especially designed for him by noted architect
Bernard Maybeck to withstand earthquakes. The house is an official city designated
Berkeley Landmark. The mineral
Lawsonite is named for him, as is the
Lawson Adit, originally a mining construction research tunnel on UC Berkeley's campus.
Lawson Peak (elev. 13,165 feet) in Sequoia National Park was officially named after him in 1976. Lawson Hill (elev. 1,128 feet), located west of the
Briones Hills in
Contra Costa County, California, is named for him. ==References ==