Awards & Scholarships

Ira Boyd Humphreys was horn in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1890. Scarcely two years later, his father, A. E. Humphreys, was a pioneer in the discovery of development of the Mesabi Iron Range. From 1910 to his father's death in 1927, Ira Humphreys, his brother, A. E. Humphreys, Jr., and their father were closely associated in the mining and oil industries. The association between the brothers continued in various mining enterprises. Among these are the Creede Mines, Colorado; Humphreys Phosphate Co., Utah; gold placer mining in Colorado, Montana, and California; chrome production in Oregon; titanium mineral production in Florida. The last is probably the most outstanding since it initiated this method of production and has become a world-wide pattern.

In the midst of these activities, Mr. Humphreys devoted much of his time and energy to the development of equipment and methods to meet specific needs-the most notable being the Humphreys Spiral Concentrator.

A director of Consolidated Copper Mines in 1917 and of Pure Oil Co. in 1935, Mr. Humphreys is currently President of Humphreys Engineering Company, Humphreys Exploration Company, and The Humphreys Investment Company, as well as being Vice-President of many other allied organizations. He has been a Member of AIME since 1950.