Awards & Scholarships

Edward Wilson Davis was born in Cambridge ,City, Ind., in 1888. Purdue University granted him a B.S. degree in 1911 and an E.E. degree in 1918. After graduation in 1911, he became associated with Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. and General Electric Co. for a short time. He then spent three years as Instructor, School of Mines, University of Minnesota, and another three with the Mesabi Iron Co. In 1918 he was appointed Superintendent-Professor, Mines Experiment Station, University of Minnesota. Later he became Director-Professor and, in 1951, Professor, his current post. Simultaneously with this last appointment, he was made consultant to the Reserve Mining Co.

Professor Davis is the recipient of other signal honors. In 1940 he was recognized as "industrial pioneer'' by the National Association of Manufacturers. In 1953 he was named one of "Men of Minnesota" and in the same year Reserve Mining Co. named its taconite plant, "E. W. Davis Works".

Known as "Mr. Taconite" throughout mining circles, he has devoted more than 40 years to the taconite industry, being one of the first to foresee its importance to the economy of the state and the welfare of the nation. As head of the Mines Experiment Station, he has been the leading authority and driving force in that organization's key role in the development of many of the processes involved in making a useful blast furnace feed from useless taconite rock.

The publications of Professor Davis· comprise an imposing list. A large proportion of these have been published in AIME Transactions. In addition, he has been granted fifteen patents. He has been a member of AIME since 1917 and lives in Minneapolis.