Oral Histories

Frank Woods McQuiston was born in Pueblo, Colorado and spent his youth in and around the mining camps of Colorado, Utah and Arizona. He received his B.S. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1931.

In 1938, Mr. McQuiston organized the metallurgical research and development division of Newmont Exploration Limited. From 1941 to 1948 he worked as a metallurgist for Newmont and other western mining operations where he developed several flotation techniques now used in base metal mineral separations in the United States and Africa.

During a leave of absence from Newmont, while serving with the Atomic Energy Commission, Mr. McQuiston spearheaded the use of ion exchange in the South African uranium production program which was later used successfully in the United States and Canada. Earlier he was decorated by the French-Moroccan Government for his role in mill design and metallurgical development of the Zellidja lead-zinc mines.

Mr. McQuiston became a Newmont vice-president in 1964. He holds directorships in O'Okiep Copper Company and Tsumeb Corporation Ltd., and is a director and vice-president of Carlin Gold Mining Company, Granduc Operating Company and Newmont Exploration Ltd.