 During World War II, he took a leave of absence from Washington University in St. Louis to serve as a mineral specialist with the Foreign Economic Administration in Washington, D.C.He was associated with Washington University for 68 years, serving as assistant, associate, and full professor of geology, chair of the department, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, vice chancellor–dean of faculties, and chancellor.During his one-year stewardship as chancellor before mandatory retirement, he steered the course through a time of transition and along the way reduced the university's debt from $1.5 million to $30,000.