Awards & Scholarships

Karl Georg Speith retired in 1970 as Head of the Mannesmann Research Institute at Duisburg-Huckingen, West Germany.

Dr. Speith was born in Duisburg-Ruthort, Germany in 1908. He studied Ferrous Metallurgy at the Technische Hochschule Berlin-Charlottenburg and later received a Doktor-Ingenieur degree from the Technische Hochschule Aachen. His first employment was with J. A. Henckels, Zwillingswerk, Solingen in 1933. In 1935 he began his activities with the Mannesmann company as a Scientific Assistant in the research institute of the former Mannesmannrohren-Werke. In 1938 he moved to the Heinrich-Bierwes-Hutte, which is now the Huttenwerk Huckingen of Mannesmann AG. He worked there on various aspects of steel production and casting and in 1953 was appointed as Director of the Steel Works at Huckingen. He subsequently served as the Director of Steel Works for the entire Mannesmann concern.

From 1963 to 1970, Dr. Speith was Head of the Mannesmann Research Institute, and since his retirement in 1970, he has been one of their consultants. He has authored or co-authored over fifty technical papers on subjects such as high-temperature metallurgical reactions, assessments of refractories and the properties of steel.

The Fairless Award is given in recognition of distinguished achievement in iron and steel production and metallurgy. It was established in 1954 through a fund provided by U.S. Steel Corporation and honors Benjamin F. Fairless for his interest in the technology and development of the iron and steel industry.