Awards & Scholarships

Donald Hamilton McLaughlin was born in San Francisco in 1891. In 1914 he received a B.S. from the University of California, followed by an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1917. He has received honorary degrees from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Michigan College of Mines and Technology, Montana School of Mines and Colorado School of Mines. Dr.McLaughlin has been a vital force in Institute affairs for many years. He was elected to membership in 1916 and served as Vice-President from 1945 to 1949, as President in 1950, and as a Director in 1951-1952.

From 1917-1919, he served in France as First Lieutenant. 63d Infantry, U. S. Army. He then went to Peru as Chief Geologist for Cerro de Pasco Corporation and participated in the establishment of the Geological Department. In 1926 he returned to the U. S. For many years, he was Consultant Geologist for Hornestake Mining and other companies. He was also Chairman of the Division of Geological Sciences at Harvard. From 1941 he was successively Dean, College of Mining, Professor of Mining Engineering, and Dean, College of Engineering at the University of California.

For thirty years, Dr. McLaughlin has been associated in various activities with Homestake Mining Co., from geologic studies to current debate on the value of the product of the mine, and the recent expansion into uranium mining and milling. He is currently President of Homestake.

Dr. McLaughlin holds Directorships in many companies, including Cerro de Pasco, International Nickel of Canada, Bunker Hill, San Luis Mining, and many others. He has said that his chairmanship of the Advisory Committee on Raw Materials of the Atomic Energy Commission during its first five years was an assignment which now seems to have been particularly worthwhile. In addition, he feels his membership on the Board of Regents of the University of California provides him with many opportunities to serve in ways that are very satisfying to him.