Kennett was at University of Rhode Island at least into the early 80s; I was there late 70s earliest 80s and met HW there (I was a lowly undergrad and she was a superior and exotic grad student).

As for the 3.5 billion year rock, I have not held it; was nota ware of it. Except, in one of Bill Bryson's books, could have been "a short history of nearly everything", or maybe more likely, "in a sunburned country", a UCSB professor (I'll leave him nameless)finds some of the oldest rocks in the world in Australia, and then goes back and is not able to find them again. Must have not had GPS.

I don't like to use GPS myself (except of course I want ships collecting data to be using it!), but if I ever did field work on land again I'd have to use it.
Chris