Art Gilkey

Art (Arthur Karr) Gilkey (1926 – 1953) was an American geologist and mountaineer.

He was born on September 25, 1926, in Boulder, Colorado, to Herbert J. Gilkey (1890-1976) and Mildred (Talbot) Gilkey, and was raised in Ames, Iowa, where his father was a professor of Engineering. He earned a B.Sc from Iowa State in 1949. After a tour of duty in the Navy during World War II, he began graduate study in geology at Columbia University, earning an M.Sc. degree in 1950. Prior to his death, he had completed his doctoral dissertation, “Fracture Pattern of the Zuni Uplift.” His Ph.D. was awarded posthumously.

He explored Alaska in 1950 and 1952. He died during a 1953 American expedition to K2. Approaching the summit of the peak, he suffered from thrombophlebitis (blood clots in the leg) or possibly deep venous thrombosis, followed by pulmonary embolism. During an attempt by his fellow climbers (including Charles Houston and Pete Schoening) to bring him down the mountain while wrapped in a sleeping bag, he was swept away by an avalanche (although it is also conjectured that he untied himself from the ropes to spare his teammates from further risk on his behalf). His remains were discovered in 1993, melting out of the glacier at the base of the south face of K2.

The current memorial to deceased climbers situated below K2 was originally built for, and named after, Art Gilkey. The American Alpine Club administers the Arthur K. Gilkey Memorial Award, providing grants in aid of scientific research in alpine areas.