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

N O N - M E T A L L I C I N D U S T R I E SINFLUENCE IN EDUCATIONAL FIELDSByKENNETH HICKOK. '26Instructor in Departmentof MetallurgyColorado School of MinesThe non-metallic industries offer avery large field for the technicalgraduate. This is evidenced by thenumber of Mines men who haveentered these industries with a resultingbenefit to themselves and theparticular branches of the industrywith which they have becomeassociated. We find that Mines menare holding positions of responsibilityin management, superintendence,sales, and research in many nonmetallicoperations throughout tbeworld.The cement industry has profitedto a great extent through the activityof Mines men. Important cement industriesin the United States andforeign countries have become successfuland large commercial enterprisesthrough the direction of men who obtainedtheir fundamentals at Mines.Potash is another non-metallic industrywhich is utilizing Mines menin all phases of production. The successof The Potash Company ofAmerica at Carlsbad, New Mexico,is largely responsible to Mines menworking on its staff in positions rangingfrom manager to surveyors. Thisvery forward-looking company realizesthe value of technical training inall phases of its mining and millingoperations.The production of kyanite for highgraderefractories is a field which wassadly neglected until a Mines mansaw the possibilities of this material.He now occupies the position of Vice-President and General Manager ofthe Celo Mines, Inc., Burnsville,North Carolina. In addition to theproduction of kyanite, by-products intbe form of mica and garnets representa considerable income for thiscompany. Part of the kyanite isburned to mullite, a very desirablerefractory for many uses wheresevere service is to be met.Phosphate rock production alsoutilizes its share of Mines men, workingin the Florida and Tennesseephosphate fields in positions of responsibility.Since the production ofphosphate directly affects the priceof ham and eggs, wheat, corn, cotton.tobacco, etc., we are all greatly indebtedto these Mines men, becausethey make it possible for us all to eatmuch more heartily and at a lowercost.Limestone is a mineral which weall realize, has such a diversified numberof uses that it would require agood sized library to enumerate them.A few of the more common uses oflimestone are: as one of the majorraw materials in the manufacture ofcement, iron and steel industry,smelter flux, chemical industry, agri-KENNETHHICKOKculture, sugar refining, water purification,glass making and many others.In all of these we will find Minesmen occupying positions of responsibilityand influence.Gj'psum is another one of the nonmetallicproducts in which Mines menare showing the value of technicaltraining. Gypsum wall board, plaster,and insulating blocks have foundwide-spread use in the building industryin the last few years, and, asa consequence, the value of a technicaleducation is being realized more andmore by the producers of gypsum andgypsum products. Mines men in thecement industry are creating a use forgypsum in the form of a retarder forthe set of cement.Kaolin and feldspar materialswhich are widely used in tbe ceramicindustry, are also benefiting fromMines graduates who hold responsiblepositions in companies producingthese materials. Kaolin is used quitewidely in pottery, porcelain and chinaware, and feldspar is widely used inthe glazing of this material to make itmore delightful to the eye as well asresistant to chemical action andabrasion.The sand and gravel industry,while lacking the romance of goldmining, none the less accounts formany of the nicer things of civilization.It is widely used in concreteaggregate, railroad ballast, road surfacing,filter beds, etc. This industryis also benefiting from the technicaltraining of Mines men. These menare not only valuable from the productionstandpoint directly, but alsofrom the manufacturing of equipmentsuitable for handling this type ofmaterial.In a key position with the majorcompany producing natural asphaltfor its many uses, we find a Minesman directing and influencing tbetrend of this industry. It is obviousthat his technical training at Minesfurnished him with a foundation thatenabled him to successfully cope withmany unknowns.Rutile, a compound of titanium,offers another field which is being exploredsuccessfully by a Mines man.While this particular non-metallicdoes not have as great nor as diversifieda use as many others, nonethe less, its use as a flux on weldingrods and in paint pigments hasassured it of a place in the industrialsun.In this short sketch about tbe influenceof Mines men in the nonmetallicindustries, it is only possibleto touch upon the high spots; however,the spots touched should conveyto the reader's mind the importance ofMines men in this most diversifiedbranch of the mineral industries.The ever widening scope of Minesmen in the non-metallic industry hasproven beyond a shadow of a doubtthat technical training is a valuableasset to this industry and largely responsiblefor its rapid expansion. Wemay expect, as time goes on, more andmore Mines men will find this fieldof endeavor to possess interest andvalue, not only to themselves, but toan increasing number of the publicat large.ByGEORGE W. THOMASCh.E., '26. M.S., '29Golden, Colo.The word "Mines" has become thesymbol of a great educational institution,with a world wide reputation.No matter where you go, to thestranger even, "Mines"-means ColoradoSchool of Mines. As an illustration,two men in a middle west citywere heard discussing mining schools,one was very firm in his statement,"There is just one mining school inthe world worth consideration andthat is 'Mines' at Golden, Colorado."He had never seen the school but knewit from reputation. To his mind itwas the "one and only one," althoughwe know there are other good rainingschools but I will leave the discussionof their merits to others, I will try tostick to my own topic.Naturally a stranger thinks of"Mines" as a large institution withmany graduates in order that it shouldbecome so well known all over theworld and is surprised to find a comparativelysmall group. Therefore tomake up for the lacking in numbers,"Mines Men" must be outstanding inperformance. The high entrance requirementsat "Mines" insures thatcandidates must be properly equipped.This in turn insures an excellentfoundation upon which to properlybuild with tbe fundamentals so necessaryfor the successful engineer."Mines" has always been progressivein its methods of selecting andimparting to its students the importantessentials. A sane, straight forwardattitude is always maintained towardnew and pertinent material whichconforms with modern theory andpractice. It clings to the higheststandards of education. With a broadknowledge of the fundamentals andtheir application so necessary to meetthe many requirements of the mineralindustries, the "Mines" graduateis especially well fitted to impart hisknowledge to others. He has had asevere training which makes hira asupporter of high standards, naturallyproducing the strong incentive foraccomplishment so necessary to reachhis ideals. His influence is onlymeasured by the number to whom heimparts his knowledge and tbis inturn depends upon the wide distributionof "Mines Men" in the teachingprofession.One gets a good idea of the tremendousinfluence played by "Mines"in education by glancing over the vastterritory embraced by Alumni in educationalwork. Among the foreigninstitutions represented are OtagoUniversity, Dunedin, New Zealand;Mapua Technical Institute, Manila,Philippine Islands, and the TemporaryUniversity of Shensi Province,Shensi, China.Not including eleven of the Alumniwho are keeping the home fires burningat "Mines," we have an extremelywide distribution among the institu-GEORGE W. THOMAStions of this country. We are representedby two of our Alurani in eachof the following; The University ofArizona, University of Texas, andMontana School of Mines. Onerepresentative is found in each of thefollowing: Missouri School ofMines, University of Vermont, Universityof Pittsburg, University ofKansas, New Mexico School ofMines, University of Colorado, SanJose Technical School, The Commandand General Staff School atFort Leavenworth, Ohio WesleyanUniversity, University of Oregon,Pennsylvania State College, PurdueUniversity, University of Californiaat Los Angeles, South Dakota Schoolof Mines, and The MassachusettsInstitute of Technology. Besidesthese, "Mines Men" will be found ineducational work in connection withmany high schools in several differentstates as well as many institutions ofhigher learning other tban those mentioned.In making mention of some of theoutstanding leaders in tbe educationalwork who are "standard hearers" for"Mines," the writer feels that he cando no better than to quote certainof their experiences and remarks. Forlack of space tbe following all too fewreferences can be chosen from tbewealth of material available.To Francis A. Thomson, '04,President of the Montana School ofMines we are indebted for the following:"Students of mining engineeringshould guard themselves againstbecoming narrow, dingy-spiritedspecialists. While necessarily devotingthemselves whole-heartedly to theirhighly technical studies, they shouldendeavor to take an intelligent interestin public affairs and in the world atlarge so that they may graduate aspotential professional men and not asfuture artisans in the technology ofthe mineral industry. Roughneckqualities and a hard-boiled appearanceand manner have no value to a futuremining engineer." Also an excerptfrom an address delivered at the AnnualMeeting of Colorado MiningAssociation, Denver, Colorado, January26, 1940 paid a fine tribute tohis Alma Mater, he said, "I am happyto have this opportunity to acknowledgethe very great debt whichI owe personally to the State of Coloradoand its great School of Minesfor giving me my early undergraduateeducation in the profession of rainingengineering."Sound advice by William R.Chedsey, '08, Director of the MissouriSchool of Mines and Metallurgy isas follows: "The soundest advice tostudents of engineering that I knowof is after training themselves asthoroughly as possible and getting outinto practical life, to associate withengineers, but more important associatewith everybody else possible, takea part in politics, join the Chamber ofCommerce, run for office on the schoolboard or anything else, and keep everlastinglyat it provided it does notinterfere with your professionalduties."Adolph S. Walter, '15, Dean ofMining and Metallurgy at the NewMexico School of Mines pays tributeto his Alma Mater in the followingquotation: "My contacts with Dr.Chauvenet, Dr. Butler, Dr. Chedsey,Dr. Patton and Dr. Sherwood assisted(Continued on page 223)184 TKE MINES MAGAZINE • APRIL 1940THE MINES MAGAZINE ^ APRIL 1 940185