This text ran in DMSE's alumni newsletter in 2011, in commemoration of MIT's celebration of its 150th anniversary. Professor Richards was a member of MIT's first graduating class after which he joined the faculty and became the first dead of what became DMSE.
The year in the Mining Department has been a prosperous one. The student numbers are keeping up. The laboratories, although crowded to desperation, are still giving satisfaction to students and turning out researches of interest all over the world.
New Equipment. A large number of split shovels and pans have been procured for the use of both the third and fourth-year classes. These are to be kept in the supply room and served out to students desiring them. The split shovel or fork with little troughs as prongs retaining and discarding alternately the fine ore poured upon it is the most accurate known device for sampling ores. A new Hunter’s sifter has been installed for use in sifting and mixing ores, fluxes, etc., preparatory to sampling and assaying. A mechanical sieve designed by Professor Bugbee has been fitted up in one corner of the laboratory for use in sifting large quantities of very fine material, replacing the tedious operation of sifting by hand, using small sieves, when preparing samples for class work. We have added two new assay balances. This makes six new assay balances altogether. There still remain eight balances which are in poor condition and should be replaced whenever opportunity offers.
The jigs have been rearranged to work in a more logical order. The Johnston vanner installed a few years ago has been worked over and its speed regulation changed by gears, so that now it conforms to the requirements of our laboratory work. For the Wetherill magnetic separator, new take-off belts were secured to replace the old belts which were a constant source of trouble. A new tool post grinder is proving to be a very efficient machine for truing up rolls of both patterns and for taking down other metal surfaces which are too hard to be turned in a lathe. Two new electric resistance furnaces wound with Excello wire instead of platinum, have been built by the Department and are enlarging the field of work. A Wilson-Maeulen millivoltmeter and a Siemens & Halske recording galvanometer have been supplied for Professor Hofman’s work. A new horizontal grinder and polisher has been fitted up by the Department for preparing metallographical specimens and is proving more satisfactory than the old style vertical machine.
Course Scheme. The new scheme adopted two years ago has now come into use for all classes and it seems to be working out very well indeed. Under the new scheme it is found that Option I, or the general option, attracts the large number of students, which as the Department feels, is as it should be. Some progress has been made toward a summer school of surveying. The courses in Elementary Metallurgy and Electro-Metallurgy are now discontinued, the ground being covered by the course in Applied Electro-Chemistry. A new Course on Metallurgy of Engineering Materials is given in the second term to Course XIII. The Course in Metallography has been rearranged to allow more lecture hours.
Advance Students and Undergraduates. Mr. J. A. Grant finished up his work in June having made an investigation of coal dust as an agent in coal mine explosions and having discovered apparently some new points. There are no candidates for advance degrees in the Department during the present school year. The fourth-year class in mining engineering and metallurgy numbers about twenty, the third and second years each about thirty.
Summer School. After the omission last year of the summer school owing to the large number who took summer work instead, an interesting and profitable summer school in mining was held this year in Minnesota and in Canada. [The group traveled to power plants, mills, and mines] and a more delightfully satisfactory trip rarely happens. At all the mines, mills and furnaces the students were treated with the greatest kindness and consideration through the influence of the officers of the several companies. The school occupied a little over four weeks and cost each man about $130.
Positions for Graduates. As in former years, practically all the graduating class who were free to take the positions offered were able to secure work without delay. There have been two or three older men who have been out of employment and not able to secure work quickly. The demand which comes to the Department is more frequently for the young graduates than for men of a few years’ experience.
Professional Work. Professor Richards spent most of the summer in Ontario, Michigan, Montana, Utah, Colorado, and Missouri in studying and making improvements in concentration. He was retained as expert in three patent cases.
Professor Hofman was appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury to investigate the losses in lead endured in the smelting of lead ores and the refining of base bullion, with a view to levying the right amount of duty upon ore and bullion imported into the United States for treatment. He visited works in New Jersey, Illinois, and Texas. The report made upon this investigation has been accepted both by the United States Treasury and the smelting companies interested. He has devoted all his spare time to the preparation of his book on metallurgy. Professor Charles E. Locke visited in a professional way a gold property in Korea helping to settle important questions and getting much good experience. Professor E. E. Bugbee is preparing notes for his assaying class.
Visitors. We have had large numbers of visitors during the past year. Perhaps the most noted being Baron Mitsui and Dr. Dan and their party. There have been also several other Japanese and a large number of former students.
Need of Space. It seems hardly necessary to speak of this again this year. The condition has now become chronic. This is our most pressing physical want. We ought to make such an appeal, and put our case so strongly, either in this report, or elsewhere, that when a move is made, the Mining Department will be considered first. This equipment is a mere nothing compared with what we would like to add if space permitted. The main reason that we are not spending all of our appropriation is owing to the fact that we have no place to put any new apparatus if purchased.
Gifts. Professor Richards has from time to time given classifiers and jigs. Mr. Arthur W. Geiger has presented the Department with two assay balances. The drawings and technical papers of the late Charles O. Parsons, class of 1873, were given to the Department. They form a valuable addition to the library.
ROBERT H. RICHARDS.
June 30, 1911