Dr. Ritchie grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and
attended the University of North Carolina there, graduating with a BS in Geology
in 1966. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin and received a
MA in Geology on the thesis " Geology of part of the Las Tablas Quadrangle,
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.
After serving in the Army, including a tour in Vietnam, he returned to the University of Texas at Austin and was awarded
a Ph.D.
on his dissertation " Geology of the San Juan Sacatepequez Quadrangle,
Guatemala, Central America. He then taught at Furman University for 4 and
a half years, The University of South Florida for 3 and a half years, and
then at the College of Charleston , where he has remained since 1982. He is
married to his wife, Kate and has no children, but the German Shepherd dogs
and assorted cats more than make up for the difference.