A native Philadelphian, Rogers was appointed professor of chemistry in Dickinson College at the age of 22. Later, he studied in Europe, gave a course in chemistry at Franklin Institute, was professor of geology and mineralogy, then worked for the Geological Survey of New Jersey. In 1836 he became State Geologist of Pennsylvania and it was during his long tenure of this office that he made his name as a geologist.

This collection consists of three reports of various Academy committees. The first, a committee to prepare queries on the subject of Boulder Drift in Egypt; the second, a committee to assess a paper on supposed human foot-prints found near St. Louis; and the third, a committee to which was referred a paper on the geology of the upper Missouri.