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As a Board member of the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum (NMHFM), I am pleased to see five current and former SME members inducted in to the NMHFM’s Class of 2013. The Museum and Hall of Fame is an extraordinary monument to the legacy and tradition of the mining and minerals industry, and effectively educates the general public and inspires the next generation of mining professionals. The honorees were inducted based on their outstanding contributions to the establishment, development, advancement or improvement of mining in the U.S.
 
To be accepted into the National Mining Hall of Fame is considered one of the highest accolades of the mining community.  More than half of the 223 dignitaries who have been honored by this esteemed organization are, or were, members of SME, attesting to the unrivaled quality of the Society and the integrity of its members. SME’s 1993 President, Donald W. Gentry, is one of five mining industry pioneers who were honored at this year’s induction banquet on Sept 14.

All five of the honorees represent SME, and have been recipients of numerous SME awards and other professional recognition. The 2013 Hall of Fame inductees are:

• Charles A. Barber (1917–2012).  Led Asarco’s successful responses to the demanding requirements of new environmental legislation and changing concepts of foreign investment in mining, especially in Latin America.
• Dr. Donald W. Gentry (1943–2012).  As a mining engineer and Dean of Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, he had a positive impact on hundreds of new mining professionals.
• Patrick H. O’Neill (1915–  ).  As an industry leader, he called for measures to improve the health, education, training and safety of employees, as well as training local citizens for employment at mine sites for which he had responsibility.
• Milton H. Ward (1932–2011).  During his tenure as President and COO of Freeport-McMoRan, he was instrumental in developing the company’s world-class Indonesian operations.
• David A. Zegeer (1922–2012).  Dedicated his mining career to protecting the health and safety of miners as a corporate executive, head of the U.S. Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) and community leader.

For more information on the Hall of Fame visit http://www.mininghalloffame.org/.