LEADVILLE, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum (NMHFM) has announced the class of 2018 National Mining Hall of Fame inductees. This year’s inductees, selected by the National Mining Hall of Fame’s Board of Governors, represent exploration, extraction, management, education, and research and development in the U.S. mining industry; these individuals were selected for being mavericks, thought leaders, researchers, educators, mentors, wealth builders, and philanthropists.

Professor John M. Guilbert, Dr. Leo J. Miller, Robert E. (Bob) Murray, and Douglas (Doug) B. Silver will join 240 other mining industry luminaries when formally inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame on September 29th, 2018. Additionally, the Prazen Living Legend of Mining Award will be presented to the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation. The 31^st Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Denver, CO.

2018 National Mining Hall of Fame Inductees:

Professor John M. Guilbert was a renowned geologist and Professor of Economic Geology at the University of Arizona; he had a distinguished 50-plus year career in academia and business. Guilbert, together with J. David Lowell, worked on the most important breakthrough in mineral exploration in the last 100 years, the Porphyry Copper Model. This work, known as the Lowell and Guilbert Model, was utilized by exploration geologists worldwide over the next four decades to discover hundreds of millions of tons of copper metal and numerous profitable mines including the prosperous Bajo de la Alumbrera copper mine in Argentina. Guilbert was a founder of The World Museum of Mining in Butte, MT. He was the recipient of countless awards including the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) R.A.F. Penrose Medal and the D.C. Jackling Award from the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME).

Dr. Leo J. Miller was a maverick in the mining industry and no armchair geologist. He believed that active fieldwork, on foot with a rock pick, was indispensable for exploration. His basic tenet was to absorb as much information about an exploration target up front, formulate ideas – sometimes novel ones – and then get out into the field to prove up those ideas. Miller was known to diverge from the standard interpretation of the geological processes, which formed the mineral deposits, and to apply innovative applications of high-tech tools to more usual exploration programs. This approach resulted in a 50-plus year career that included the discovery of the Kidd Creek massive sulfide deposit and the development of the Lee Creek phosphate deposit, which other explorers had previously given up on, believing whatever phosphate might be present would be too difficult and expensive to mine. The recipient of many honors and awards, Miller received the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration (SME) Robert M. Dreyer award in recognition of outstanding achievement in ore discoveries.

Mr. Robert E. (Bob) Murray worked his way through every aspect of the industry to build the largest privately held underground coal mining and river and ocean shipment operations in the world. Beginning with only one mine, he is the Founder, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Murray Energy Corporation and its subsidiaries. Murray is a recognized authority on America’s electric power grid and on matters affecting the coal and minerals industries. He is a primary spokesman for the coal industry, both publicly and in Washington, D.C. He is a past President of American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) and Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) and has served in leadership roles for several state and national coal trade associations as well as a past member of the Board of Directors of the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. During his 60-year mining career, Murray has received numerous professional awards including the SME President’s Citation.

Douglas B. Silver is considered one of the top thought leaders of the global mining business due to his diverse and international business expertise. His private research has elevated the industry’s understanding of macro trends, valuation standards, and corporate strategies. Silver founded International Royalty Co. with an approach that proved the royalty model could be wildly successful outside of precious metals and for the lay investor. He continues to create investor wealth at Orion Resource Partners with innovative approaches to mine finance and metal investment. Silver conceptualized and founded the Denver Gold Group, the world’s premier gold investment forum. He is well known for his extensive writings and humorous speeches. A private supporter of education and women’s issues, he has mentored many students. Silver is the recipient of numerous awards including the University of Arizona President’s Award for his leadership role with the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources, and the Distinguished Member Award of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME).

2018 National Mining Hall Prazen Living Legend of Mining Award

The Prazen Living Legend of Mining Award will be presented to the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation for its significant and sustained commitment to educating the public about the importance of mining to our everyday lives.

A cornerstone of the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation’s mining education portfolio is its partnership with Discovery Education™ called “Dig Into Mining” that tells “The Story of Copper” through an interactive educational program for students that explores the use of metals in our everyday life. This initiative equips educators, students, and families with dynamic resources such as virtual field trips, interactive digital learning tools, and school-to-home connections that provide students with a deeper understanding of today’s mining industry and our dependence on mined minerals.

The education portfolio also includes: online newspapers “Copper: More Than Metal” and “Molybdenum: Helping to Build a Stronger Future” that highlight the importance of both metals, their use in daily life, and explain the mining process from exploration to post-closure; Junior Achievement’s BizTown, an on-site simulation of a student-size town that allows fourth, fifth and sixth grade students to spend the day at Freeport-McMoRan as CEO, CFO or a mining engineer and participate in a mining and reclamation activity; and Boy Scouts of America Mining In Society Merit Badge workshops that provide hands-on learning experiences during tours of Freeport-McMoRan’s sites to help Scouts earn the merit badge.

Freeport-McMoRan’s comprehensive program also educates students and their parents about the importance of pursuing areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to foster and develop the critical thinking skills that are necessary for the next generation of miners to identify mines, and conserve the minerals and land that are so vital to our daily lives. The company also participates in the National Technology Field Trip Day, partners with the Wildlife Habitat Council, participates in Engineering Days at Eastern Arizona College, and provides mine site tours and outreach, each contributing to public understanding of the mining industry. Incredibly, the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation invests almost $3 million in K-12 STEM education annually and is also committed to the sustainability of Mining and Metallurgy Programs at the university level.

Commenting on the inductees, Frank McAllister, Chairman of the Board of the Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, said: “We are pleased to induct these four new members into the hall of fame. Each inductee, having left an indelible mark in their respective areas, has had a profound impact on the mining industry. Freeport-McMoRan’s work so effectively reveals the story of mining’s benefits to civilization that we felt compelled to honor their efforts. It is truly gratifying to recognize these far-reaching contributions to mining and place them in perpetuity in the National Mining Hall of Fame for generations to come.”

Full length biographies and photographs of all inductees can be accessed on the NMHFM website at http://www.mininghalloffame.org/, Events tab, along with additional information about the museum and its facilities.

For details about the induction banquet and sponsorship opportunities contact: Francine Webber, Events Manager, at 719-486-1229 or Email: [email protected].