A L U M N I N U M B C E L E B R A T I N G ... - Mines Magazine

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ENDOWMENTWILLIAMDE WITTThe Colorado School of MinesAlumni Association is probably themost unique organization of its kindin that it is not subsidized and controlledby the College from which itoriginated. It was organized bygraduates of the Colorado School ofMines in May 1895 and it was incorporatedunder the laws of theState of Colorado in 1935 by its dulyelected officials. It is an independentorganization, receiving no gratuitiesof any kind. It receives the supportof Mines men everywhere and itcommands the respect of everj'one.It voices the views of its members onall questions pertaining to the Schoolof Mines. It carries on a continuousservice for its members to elevatethem in their professions. It is buildingthe Colorado School of Mines tostill greater heights. It maintainsthat no Mines man is so great thathe cannot be greater and also thatthe Alma Mater, no matter howgreat it may become, can always beimproved. It is an active militantorganization that does not "pass thebuck." It recognizes that certainwork must be done and has set aboutto do it. It has taken the responsibilityof improving the Alma Materas well as improving the status of theAlumnus. It is making steadyprogress in these matters and eachyear finds that it has more accomplishmentsto its credit.There is no need for me to set outhere the growth of the Aiumni Association,nor of its Mines Magazine,nor of its Capability Exchange, norof the influence of the Associationwith the Colorado Legislature andthe general public in all matters concerningthe School of Mines andhigher education in Colorado.The Alumni Association is proudof the School of Mines—it is proudof the graduates and the record theyhave made in the profession, it isproud of the Administration, Facultyand Student Body. The AlumniAssociation is always on the job advisingwith trustees regarding policiesaffecting the school—conferring withthe faculty regarding improving thecurriculum—and assisting students invarious waj's. The Alumni Associationsestablished a Students' LoanFund which has been of benefit tomany students, it has raised moneyto help pay off the indebtedness onBrooks Field, it has two members onthe Athletic Board of Control at theByC. LORIMER COLBURN, '07Cha irman Alumni AssociationEndowment CommitteeSchool and has helped the athleticsituation in many ways.In addition to all the activitiesmentioned above the Aiumni Associationhas organized and is fosteringa Foundation for the School. Thismove was made by a nearly unanimousC. LORIMER COLBURNvote of the members of the Association.What other Alumni Associationof its own volition and in itsown independent way has taken overtbe Herculean task of creating aFoundation for its AlmaMater?The Colorado School of MinesFoundation was established by theAlumni Association on May l7th,1928. Since that time $7,000 incash has been put into the Foundationtreasury. The first subscriptionwas a $1,000 gift, secured by W. D.Waltman and presented to theFoundation at the tirae of its organization.All other gifts were ofsmall sums, mostly $2 or $3 contributionsmade from time to time bymembers of the Alumni Association.Seven thousand dollars donatedover a 12-3'ear period is not an impressivesum but it was given by manyMines Men and it is a substantialstart.The officers of the Associationand the Administration at the Schoolhave done much in promoting theFoundation but their work has beenhandicapped by lack of funds to followup promising leads. Severallarger gifts have been lost because theAlumni Association did not have themoney to send a man from headquartersto present the needs of theSchool. Mines Men at a distance fromGolden cannot keep informed on theurgent needs of the School and theycannot therefore make a successfulappeal for a gift when the opportunitypresents itself. In such cases a manshould be sent from headquarterswho can make an enthusiastic presentationof the claims of the School ofMines for support. The AlumniAssociation needs an executive manager,a full tirae man, with salaryand expenses assured so that he canswing right into this Foundationraising problem. There is no way forthe Association to secure the servicesof such a raan until it is sufficientlyendowed.The steady and consistent growthof the Alumni Association has beendue to the unstinted work of a numberof volunteer workers. They havereceived no financial reward for theirservices. Theirs has been a work oflove which cannot he evaluated indollars and cents. The Associationwill always have to depend upon alarge amount of volunteer work fromits members but it must also have awell paid executive manager. Sucha man could work wonders with thepresent set-up.The Colorado School of Mines hasalso been progressing. The ever increasingnumber of students has puta strain on every facility at its command.Several million dollars areneeded right now, for special purposesnot included in state support. If theSchool is to get the gifts so badlyneeded, the Alumni Association mustfurnish the initiative and the drivingpower to get those gifts.The Alumni Association's incomeis derived solely from dues of members,earnings of its Mines Magazine,and the income frora its "Life MembershipFund". The income fromthese sources is not sufficient to supportthe active progressive programthat the Association has adopted. TheAlumni Association has a perpetualjob to perform and it raust have asubstantial endowraent so it can moresuccessfully cope with the numerousproblems confronting it.WALTMANThere is a large, plainly furnishedoffice in the suite of rooms occupied bythe Franco-Wyoming Oil Company inthe beautiful, modern Edison Buildingin the heart of downtown LosAngeles. In the office is a massive,well ordered desk, and a few chairs.The only decorations on tbe walls areautographed pictures of men—menwho have made "Who's Who".Among them is the only living exprcsidentof the United States, aformer vice-president, the commandinggeneral of tbe American Armiesin France during World War I, andothers equally prominent in the politicaland business life of the nation.These men have autographed thephotographs for their friend who occupiesthe massive desk.Their friend has also been listedin "Who's Who". He has truly wonhis " M " in life by sheer hard workand ability. Mines Men are proudof him because he has never forgottenhis alma mater, despite all his worldlysuccess. He is never too deeply engrossedin his responsibilities to shirkservice to the school, or to lend ahelping hand to fellow Mines Men.In 1938 he established a trust whichprovides an annual award to one ofthe outstanding graduates. He hasrightfully earned a place in "MinesWho's Who". The man at the deskand at the controls of the organizationhe directs is William De Witt Waltman'99.Born in Kendallville, Indiana,February 8, 1875, the son of MartinVan Buren and Catherine Huff (Aller)Waltman. In 1889, the familymoved to Colorado Springs, Colorado,where Mr. Waltman attended theold Liller School. In 1895, at the ageof 20, Mr. Waltman entered the ColoradoSchool of Mines at Golden, fromwhich he graduated in 1899 with anE.M. degree.//£ ENTERED TH£ SCHOOLOF MINBS W AMDWlW AN £M. DEGREE —fXPEff/E//C£S GAMEAf/O MA^yUb ivas R£c/PiEA/-rOF W£ ROOSEVELTMEML - f/E £U7^/?EDTHE o>l r/ElO —ffEPRFSBNr/'^G 1-Af!6£FI?£f^CH O/i ///7^/{EST^POS/T/O/^S.mMELv; H/5 Work- wPAI/AMA Am—i-r--. 81/llD/A/G or'SIE Ct/LE8RA ,1 or TfVe CA/^AL .The following year, he beganhis first work as a Mining Engineerat Cripple Creek and spentan intensive 2 years on the preparationand editing of Hills Manual of CrippleCreek Mines. In 1901, he was engagedas principal Assistant City Engineerin Colorado Springs, where heremained for 3 years. In 1905, hereceived an appointment which tookhim to Panama where he spent 2 yearsas superintendent of mining and 3years as superintendent of constructionon the Culehra and Porto Bellodivisions of the Canal. He was a recipientof the Roosevelt PanamaMedal. Impaired health necessitatedhis leaving the Canal area and followinghis return to Colorado in 1910,he accepted the position of Chief Engineerfor the Costilla Estates DevelopmentCompany, then engaged in theconstruction of the Sanchez Dam nearSan Acacio, Colorado.In1911, Mr. Waltman met Mr.P. E. de Caplane who was in Wyoming,representing large French oilinterests in that area. The subsequentdevelopment of that friendshipmarked Mr. Waltman's entranceinto the field of petroleumengineering. Engaged at that timeto head the field engineering work forthe French interests, Mr. Waltmansoon enteredinto tbe administrativedirectorship of the extensiveFrenchholdings in the prolific Wyoming oilfields.Mr. Waltman is now a Directorand Executive Vice President ofFranco-Wyoming Oil Company, theparent organization, and Presidentof that company's several operatingsubsidiary companies, namely: Mc-Elroy Ranch Company, operatingextensive oil and cattle propertiesin West Texas; Franco-WesternOil Company, operating oil propertiesmAAMAf 0£ WITTOF" HIS MAf^V TlTL£SA/O/VE IS AiOF?£/MPO^TAfJT WV M'SEM FROM MMES-.in California; Franco-Central OilCompany, operating oil propertiesthroughout Kansas; and Franco-WyomingSecurities Corporation. Mr.Waltman is also President of Isolantite,Inc., a related interest engagedin the ceramic business in the East.Mr. Waltman is a Captain in theChemical Warfare Reserves, U. S.Army, and an active member in thefollowing societies: American Instituteof Mining & Metallurgical Engineers,American Society of CivilEngineers, Canadian Institute ofMining Engineers, American Societyof Petroleum Geologists, AmericanPetroleum Institute, Society of MilitaryEngineers, American Associationfor the Advancement of Science andthe American Numismatic Society.Mr. Waltman is a past president ofthe Board of Trustees of the ColoradoSchool of Mines. He is aRepublican, Methodist and Mason.He married Eula C. Hamilton ofNew York and has one son, WilliamDe Witt Waltman, Jr., a petroleumengineer with the Gulf Oil Corporationin West Texas.EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first o£ aseries of articles devoteii to outstanding"Mines Men," It will feature Minesalumni who have achieved prominence inthe professional or business world. Ourmembers are invited to send their nominationsfor "Man of the Month" to theeditor.162TKE MINES MAGAZINE -t^ APRIL 194QTHE MINES MAGAZINE > APRIL 1 940 163