1940-1959
 Note:  some of this information was 'Googled'

Batchelor, Oliver; 1956, Mining      
    Oliver worked in several jobs and towns until settling in Odessa in 1962 with the opening of the Rexall Chemical Refinery (now Huntsman Chemical). He retired in 2002 as a Reliability Engineer for Huntsman with 40 years of service, having earned additional educational degrees along the way, including a Bachelors Degree in Engineering. In addition, he served in the Army Reserves for many years receiving an honorable discharge in 1970 with the rank of Major .
      Through the years, Oliver's passion for sports and volunteer service has been extraordinary. He worked as a football referee from 1964 to 1976, traveling all around West Texas to work high school games. Oliver's association with the Odessa Boys Club began in 1967 when he was first introduced to the sport of judo. Judo continues to this day to hold a significant place of service and sport in Oliver's life.
     Oliver is a 5th degree black belt (Godan). He received Shodan in 1970. In 1980, he passed the certification for National Referee at the National High School Championships in Odessa. He was selected to work as technical official at the 1990 Pan American Games in Indianapolis and at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. "Batch," as he is known around the club, has worked at the U.S. Invitational (international) for approximately ten (10) years at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and in Las Vegas. He placed in two National Championships and six Texas state tournaments. He has held a number of key positions with Texas Judo, Inc., including President for a number of terms, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.    Oliver has been volunteering his time with the Odessa Boys Club for well over 38 years.
Born, C. Allen; B.S., 1958, Geology
    Allen currently is Chairman of the Board of Panoro Minerals Ltd. He is Chairman of Born Investments, LLC.1987.  He donated the bronze statue that stands in the UTEP geology department's lobby.  He was hired by Amax in 1967 as Metallurgist and eventually became Chairman and CEO of Amax; in 1976 he became President of Canada Tungsten Mining Corp. Ltd. and later took charge of all Amax's Canadian companies.  He did a four-year sting with a Canadian mining company, Placer Development, Ltd.  Amax agreed to go back to Amax and was heir apparent' for the CEO's job; Amax became a powerhouse in the 1980s.
    In 1991 he was UTEP's Distinguished Alumnus; he attended Homecoming, unveiled the statute and gave many speeches about his days as a struggling student and the future of exploration.
Buddecke, Donald B. "Sparks"; 1957; Mining 
     In 1985, Donald received the Stefanko Best Paper Award, which was established in 1983 and recognizes authors presenting papers in the Coal & Energy Division technical sessions, at SME Annual Meetings, for their contributions to the body of knowledge. Donald attended the UTEP 90th Anniversary Homecoming. He shared the following story:
    It was 1955 when we assumed that the traditional dynamite blast wake-up call in the early morning of St. Pat's day was our turn.
     So four of us – Hank Bartell, a real mining fanatic; Lou Buescher, who found out he was claustrophobic after four years of underground mining education; Mike Holt, a remittance man from England; and myself, who finally passed freshman English my senior year when being dyslexic was considered just being stupid – exploded our 50 pounds of noise successfully.
Later, I was apprehended eating huevos rancheros in an all night eatery. I was put in the jail's holding tank. When asked what I was in for, I replied, "Dynamiting the college.
    I was bailed out. 
Calhoun, William M; 1956, Mining/Geology
    Bill has provided consulting services to the minerals industry in the areas of mining operations, mine planning, mine design, ore reserves and environmental issues for the past 24 years as an independent consultant.  From 1972 through 1981 Mr. Calhoun served as President and CEO of Day Mines, Inc., an American Stock Exchange Company with mining operations in the western United States. In 1980 Day Mines was recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the top- five best-managed companies with less than $100 million in sales.  During Bill's tenure, Day Mines increased revenues 950%, net income 2,000%, dividends 670%, and total assets 880%, all without incurring any long-term debt. In 1981 Day Mines was acquired by Hecla Mining in a hostile takeover. Prior to Day Mines, he worked for American Zinc Company in various corporate roles including Manager of Western Operations, Chief Mine Engineer and Mine Manager.
    Mr. Calhoun's extensive public service record includes membership on President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Minerals Task Force, President Gerald Ford's Inflation Task Force; Director of the Silver Institute; Trustee of the Northwest Mining Association; Chairman of the Mining Advisors Committee to the Governors of Washington and Idaho; President of the Idaho Mining Association; Chairman of Idaho College of Mines Advisory Committee; and numerous other civil and professional organizations. 
Collison, Jerome N ; 1954; Mining
    Jerome lives in Monterey, California
Congdon, Gene Edward; 1955, Geology
      Gene is President of Jobe's Creek Petroleum in Killingworth, CT.
Cooper, Victor L.; 1952, Geology
    Victor lives in Oklahoma and is on the Treasure for the SIPES Chapter in Oklahoma, City.  In 2007 he was elected Vice President  of SIPES
Cope, Louis W.; 1950; Mining Engineering
     Louis attended the UTEP 90th Anniversary Homecoming. He share this story:
    During discussions of the name change at the Texas College of Mines in 1949, a group of engineering and geology students held a demonstration. There were about 20 of us. Someone had made a crude 10-foot long banner stating: "Texas College of Mines." 
    While El Paso businessmen and college officials in the Mills Building were holding a meeting, we gathered in Alligator Park across the street. We had just unfurled our banner when a policemen with a billy club approached us. He said, "You boys break it up, or I'll run the bunch of you in." I thought to myself, "One cop and he's going to arrest 20 of us?"
    Instead, I said, "But officer, we aren't on the sidewalk and we're not making any noise." 
    The policeman's response was direct and to the point. "You've got 30 seconds to scatter or you'll be arrested." And pointing to me he said, "You'll be the first.
    Just at that moment, someone from the meeting came out to the group. He said that we should send three spokesmen to the meeting. The others left, thus ending a very brief demonstration!
    In 2007, Lou received the Arthur C. Duman Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploratih's Mineral Processing Division.
Davis, Cletus A.; 1953, Geology
    Cletus is an independent attorney and lives in Bryan, TX
Deckert, Joe A.; 1955, Mining
Joe has retired and is now living in Deming, NM


Fellows, Ralph H.; 1948, Mining
   Ralph was Senior Vice President at Ryder Scott Co., Petroleum Consultants, retired in 2000 but remains on the Board of Directors.  He started his career with Gulf Oil Co. in 1948 and was Ryder Scott’s first geologist when he joined the company in 1968.   During his distinguished career, Ralph performed geological analyses of many major basins around the world.  He plans to devote more time to his ranch in Mexico.
Frantzen, Dan Ray ; 1955, Mining
Dan worked for Stone Petroleum in Lafayette, LA, and was UTEP's 1984 "Outstanding Alumnus" for the College of Science 
Gonzalez, Alex; 1953; Mining
    Congratulations to Ms Ladewig and Mr Clark on a very good 97-98 Newsletter. I was very glad to receive it and note the new programs and fields of study the Dept. is involved with. Sorry to note that mineral production and development studies have disappeared-But the industry has suffered greatly in the last few years in most of the US.
    Perhaps you could list where one might contribute a small amount periodically to the various scholarship and endowed funds. I needed help as an undergraduate and I studied under all three great Profs: Quinn, Nelson and Bill Strain. Maybe I could throw a couple of bucks back into the pot.
    Good Luck to the Dept., Staff and to the school.
Alex Gonzalez
Class of '53, Mining Engineering
Hanners, Jerry T.; 1952, Geology
    Jerry was a teacher for many years but has since retired and is very active in the Kiwanis Club of Lovington, NM, and the Lea County Association of Educational Retirees for Hobbs and Lovington, NM
Hemley, J. Julian; 1948; Geology      
    J. Julian Hemley received the prestigious R.A.F. Penrose Gold Medal from the Society of Economic Geologists in February 2000. His work focused on experimental hydrothermal geochemistry. He has spent the majority of his 40-year career with the U.S. Geological Survey, but he also was employed for five years beginning in 1968 at the Anaconda Co., where he set up the mining industry's first in-house experimental geochemistry program. The presentation ceremony took place at the joint SEG-Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration meeting in Salt Lake City. SEG established the Penrose Medal in 1923 to recognize "a full career of unusually original work in the earth sciences." Hemley received SEG's silver medal in 1987.
LaFave, Jr., Victor A.; 1952, Mining
    Victor graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marines Academy in 1943 and currently lives in El Paso and is the Admissions Representative for the USMMA for the El Paso area
Jones, Morgan and Diane (nee Baverschlag), 1958 and 1959
    Morgan and Diane live in Benson, Arizona.  They have recently retired but owned and operated Jones Geoservices in Benson
Kilpatrick, James J.; B.S., 1951
    James retired in Katy, TX, after working as a geophysical consultant with the Robert H. Ray Company
Lindsey, David A.; 1953, Geology
    David worked for the USGS and lives in Houston.

McBride, George; 1949, Mining
    Sadly, George passed away April 18, 2007 and will be remembered for his adventurous and generous spirit.  Shortly after World War II broke out, George joined the Air Force and used his expertise in Morse code to set up relay stations from northern California to Baja, Mexico.  In 1943, while serving as a navigator for the U.S. Air Force, his plane crashed and he was able to parachute near a remote Chinese village, from which, injured, he followed the Burma Road for six weeks to the closest U.S. air base. Upon graduation from TCM, he attended graduate school at Stanford University.
    George got his start in the oil business in Midland, Texas for Standard of California, Standard of Texas, and Texas Gulf Producing Co.  He moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he worked at Mississippi Land and Exploration and became Vice-President of Louisiana Land and Exploration Co., ultimately becoming President of Freeport Oil.  After a successful career in oil and gas exploration, George retired in El Paso.
    In his lifetime, George received various military honors and was ranked first lieutenant.  In 1994 the Chinese government awarded him a medal for his courageous flights over the China-Burma-India Hump.  He was a strong supporter of the sciences at the UTEP and was an active member of the AAPG.  In 1976, George was named Outstanding Ex of UTEP.  

Mishkin, Ronald H.; 1953, Geology
    In Fall 2007, Ron made a presentation entitled Mining Experiences in Zinc, Iron, and Copper Mines at the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society, Inc, in New Jersey.
Morrison, Billy H.; 1952; Geology
  Billy is an independent geologist and lives in Montgomery, TX
O’Kelly, Floyd R.; 1951, Geology
     After retirement from many years as a geologist and geophysicist, Floyd became a volunteer for “Blue Sky Bridge, accredited by the National Children’s Alliance. He came up with an idea to create a benefit CD for Blue Sky Bridge. He did everything from making contacts with all of the song artists, to hand-selecting the songs. 
     Floyd was a longtime volunteer for the VA Hospital and decided to give his time to Blue Sky Bridge because he "appreciate[s] the effort that many give to help out those who are less fortunate." He says, "Too many people seemed to always say, 'why don't they do something about those poor little kids.' I've never determined who ‘they’ are," says Floyd, "but I think that it is you and me." 
     Floyd admits that his recent foray into the music world has been a 180 degree turn, but a good one. He currently lives in Boulder, CO.
Patterson, Jimmy Max ; 1958; Geology
    Jim passed away. His life was a geological saga. Early on he was a principal of the group who put the alligator in Dr. Quinn's office at Texas Western. He was famous for successfully operating a gold mine in Chihuahua for twenty years. His protection of the camp included shoot- outs. Most recently he challenged the JOBE monopoly in El Paso by opening his own operation. 
  Last month he was pursuing an open claim-block in west Texas, still chasing 'the big one'. His dedication to UTEP was unflinchable. A daughter currently attends UTEP.
Puryear, Grady; B.S., 1953
    Grady lives in Fredericksburg, Texas.  He has a pilots license and tootled around in a 150 L Cessna and is a Model T enthusiast
Rutter, Albert W., Jr.; 1949, Geology
    In the 1950's,  A.W. (“Bill”) Rutter took over a partnership which his father and the Wilbanks Brothers (who were drilling contractors in the Permian Basin)formed in1936.  Today, Bill along with two of his sons, A.W. (“Bill”) III and Christopher, are all actively engaged in the oil business. 
    Today, the R&W organization holds interests in over 1,500 wells located primarily in Texas and New Mexico, but range as far away as Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, West Virginia, and Alberta (Canada).  The company both generates its own prospects, as well as participates in those that are initiated by other independents.  R&W has a group of contacts with whom it works to finance its projects and as sources of new opportunities.  Most of them originate in Midland, which is the commercial and financial hub of the Permian Basin, but there are others originating in Tulsa, Denver, Dallas, and Houston.  Most recently, R&W has also become active in conducting a major gas exploration prospect in the Copper River Basin of Southern Alaska.
    Rutter and Wilbanks is also involved in several other ventures in the water, landfill gas, plant nursery, continuous variable transmission, and geothermal energy arenas.
Scales, George H.; 1956 Geology
    George is owner of Texas Western Energy in Portland, TX

Seguro, Pablo; 1949 Mining
    Pablo worked as a metallurgist until his retirement in 1980.  He lives in Houston, TX, and is an active member of the Houston chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens and served as the chapter's president in 1974.  The Department of Journalism at UT Austin featured Pablo in a narrative of Latinos and Latinas in WW II.  It's an interesting story, check it out.
 

Steen, Charles A.; 1943, Geology
    A great deal has been written about Charlie Steen who made a fortune after discovering a rich uranium deposit in Utah, sparking the "Uranium Rush" of the early 1950s.  In 1971 he suffered a severe head injury working on a copper prospect.  Long suffering from Alzheimer's, Steen died on January 1, 2006, in Loveland, CO.

 Thomas, Col. (Ret) James D.; 1951; Mining
    Col. Thomas wrote (Sept. 2000) that he would be unable to attend the 2000 Homecoming events as they will be sailing on a 4-mastered tall sailing ship in the Indian Ocean. They will complete their record the World Fly and Cruiser trip about 12 November 2000. He is planning on making the 2001 Homecoming as it will be his half century mark since graduating.
van Hoff, William; 1949, Geology
    William was a science teacher at Permian Basin High School in Odessa, TX.  He has since retired.

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