Sam Boggs received his B.S. degree from the University of Kentucky in 1956 and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Colorado in 1964. He worked as a petroleum exploration geologist (1956-61) and a research geologist (1964-65) before coming to the University of Oregon in 1965. He is currently professor emeritus at the University. He also held one-year appointments at the University of Tokyo and National Taiwan University, and a six-month appointment at Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago.

In addition, he worked intermittently (summers) as a research geologist for the U. S. Geological Survey. He has published numerous articles in professional journals as well as four books, including two textbooks in several editions each. His publications cover a wide variety of scientific disciplines: oceanography, sedimentology, stratigraphy, sedimentary petrology, cathodoluminescence imaging, and backscattered electron microscopy.