Becker, George Ferdinand

George Ferdinand Becker (1847–1919) was an American geologist and mining engineer. His most important work related to ore deposits, especially those of the western United States. He led the United States Geological Survey's California division of geology after 1879, in which capacity he mapped the mining claims, mines and geology of the Comstock Silver Lode, near Virginia City, which had sparked a silver rush of prospectors, helped to spur the growth of Nevada and San Francisco, and advanced mining technology.