American Institute of Mining Engineers, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County

As I mentioned recently in my post about Colonel Jacob Stroud, I was invited to attend a historical event in Wilkes-Barre. It so happens that the organization celebrating their 150th anniversary also has one of these markers, so this is the perfect time to do my first post from Luzerne County. 

The marker stands where the Wyoming Valley Hotel
no longer does, at 16 South River Street, Wilkes-Barre

On May 16, 1871, a group of men gathered in the Wyoming Valley Hotel on Wilkes-Barre's River Street, a grand establishment which no longer exists (though a drawing of it can be seen on the AIME website linked down below). These 23 men were all leaders in the professions of mining and metallurgical engineering, and the idea that they were putting forth was to combine their expertise and resources for the benefit of both current and future engineers. To quote from the plaque which was installed for their 125th anniversary, which is itself quoting from the minutes of that first meeting, they were discussing "two great objectives: First, the more economical production of the useful minerals and materials. Second, the greater safety and welfare of those employed in the industries." 

This coalition became the American Institute of Mining Engineers, although over time it changed its name somewhat as the industry evolved and expanded. Today it's called the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers; it still goes by the initials AIME for short. Installed as an honorary member and the very first president, for just one year, was this blog's first subject, Catasauqua ironmaster David Thomas. "Father Thomas" is actually pictured on the 125th anniversary plaque shown below - he's the bespectacled gentleman in the upper middle of the image, and the AIME website gives him a really nice biography which helped me a lot when I wrote his blog profile.

In 1879, Ellen Swallow Richards became the first female member of AIME, which was highly unusual for the time period; AIME has been progressive in more ways than one. She had been the first female student to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she majored in chemistry. After receiving her degree, she became a pioneer in what she called "sanitary chemistry," a field which eventually was renamed ecology, and was the one to help develop the first water quality standards for the United States. Her husband, Robert Richards, was a Professor of Mining at MIT; he was also a member of AIME, and the organization's prestigious Richards Award is named for him.

The plaques for AIME's 125th (top)
and 150th anniversaries

Although AIME was born here in Pennsylvania, it was headquartered in New York City, in the Engineering Building. Over the course of its first century and a half, it has become the umbrella under which four member societies operate side by side: the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST), the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME), the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), and the Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS). AIME is the supporting organization which is governed by a board of trustees, consisting of two voting members appointed from each of these four member societies plus one non-voting executive director. As its charter states, its mission in the 21st century is to "advance and disseminate, through the programs of the Member Societies, knowledge of engineering and the arts and sciences involved in the production and use of minerals, metals, energy sources and materials for the benefit of humankind."

So this past Sunday, May 16th, was the 150th anniversary of the founding of AIME. At the kind invitation of Mike Korb, I headed up to Wilkes-Barre to watch as they installed a new plaque to commemorate the occasion. It was also, as Mayor George Brown observed, very close to the 150th anniversary of the founding of Wilkes-Barre itself, so it was an extra special occasion. The Public Square, where the ceremony took place and the plaques are on display, was abuzz with activity since it was the last day of the annual Fine Arts Fiesta, which was a great way to kill some time while we waited for things to start. (Public Square is also home to four PHMC markers, so you know what else I was doing.)

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA) was on hand, along with AIME's current president George Luxbacher, SME's current president Bill Edgerton, and John Voigt, who is the current chair for SME's PA Anthracite Section. These gentlemen, as well as the mayor and Mark Riccetti of the Luzerne County Historical Society, spoke about the region's rich anthracite mining heritage and how AIME had contributed to the development of Luzerne County and Wilkes-Barre. The actual plaque was then unveiled by Mike Korb and John Ackerman, both of whom are members of AIME.

It's impossible to say, of course, what the future of engineering and energy will hold. The changes in our country which have occurred since those 23 men met for drinks in 1871 have been nothing they could have predicted. But AIME is nothing if not adaptable, and as our society continues to evolve, I'm pretty sure they will too.

From left: John Voigt of the SME, Mike Korb, Wilkes-Barre's
Mayor George Brown, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright,
and John Ackerman

Thanks to Mark Riccetti for a minor correction on this post!

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Sources and Further Reading:

Official website of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers

Lindenmuth, Kaylee. "Mining organization marks sesquicentennial." The Shenandoah Sentinel, May 17, 2021.

Official website of the Luzerne County Historical Society

American Institute of Mining Engineers at the Historical Marker Database

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Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.