Chief Geographer of the U.S. Geological Survey. Sierra Club charter member and activist.
In his role with the USGS, Marshall was an early supporter of National Parks before the establishment of the National Park Service.
He also proposed the concept of a statewide water plan for a series of dams, canals and aqueducts to bring water to California's Central Valley. As a result of his 1919 Marshall Plan, he earned the nickname of "Father of the Central Valley Project."
This Robert B. Marshall is not related to The Wilderness Society co-founder Robert Marshall (1901 - 1939).
He indicated that he had a "long and intimate" relationship with John Muir, writing, "My appreciation, feelings, respect and love for my friend Muir are all of the heart, and so intense and sacred that I cannot tell them even to my friends."
