Who is Mr. Homesley from Canyons and what is their importance?

Mr. Homesley is a biology teacher at Brennan's school. Aware that Brennan is intelligent despite his bad grades, Mr. Homesley befriends Brennan and guides him into directing more of his energy into his studies. This causes a strong bond between the two. When Brennan finds the skull, he turns to Mr. Homesley to help him learn more about it. Mr. Homesley takes Brennan to meet one of his Vietnam buddies and this buddy helps Brennan learn the facts about the skull's death. Mr. Homesley then calls a friend at the Western Historical Archives to get information on violence in and around the canyons in the years in which the skull more than likely met its demise. With this help, Brennan is able to figure out where he should take the skull.