Felix Edgar Wormser (died June 29, 1981) was an American engineering and former government official who served as Assistant
Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to:
* Secretary of the Interior (Mexico)
* Interior Secretary of Pakistan
* Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines)
* United States Secretary of the Interior
See also
*Interior ministry ...
for Mineral Resources in the
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...
from 1954 to 1957.
Biography
Wormser was born in
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...
and graduated from
Columbia School of Mines
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (popularly known as SEAS or Columbia Engineering; previously known as Columbia School of Mines) is the engineering and applied science school of Columbia University. It was founded as th ...
with a degree in mining engineering in 1916.
At Columbia, he was a member of the men's varsity crew team.
He was employed by the
United States Bureau of Mines
For most of the 20th century, the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was the primary United States government agency conducting scientific research and disseminating information on the extraction, processing, use, and conservation of mineral r ...
until 1919, when he served in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
.
From 1920 to 1925, Wormser was a member of the editorial staff of
McGraw Hill
McGraw Hill is an American educational publishing company and one of the "big three" educational publishers that publishes educational content, software, and services for pre-K through postgraduate education. The company also publishes referenc ...
. He then worked as a consulting mining engineer from 1925 to 1947.
He was a trustee of the
from 1940 to 1945.
Wormser was secretary-treasurer of the
Lead Industries Association
The Lead Industries Association (LIA) was a trade organization that in 1925 made it possible for Tetraethyllead to be an additive of commercial gasoline and later incorporated in 1928 to promote the interests of the lead industry. The National Lead ...
and vice president of
St. Joe Minerals St. Joe Minerals Corporation was an American mining company. It was the United States largest producer of lead and zinc at the time of its merger with Fluor Corporation in 1981. The St. Joseph Lead Company was founded on March 25, 1864 by Lyman W. ...
from 1947 to 1953, when he was appointed Assistant Secretary for Mineral Resources by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
.
Wormser was a close associate of President Eisenhower when he led
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
as president. He was a member of the
board of trustees of Columbia and was tapped by Eisenhower to head a $12 million fundraising drive for an engineering center, which he belied was vital due to a lack of engineering and technical personnel in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
vis-a-vis the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
In 1956, he received the
Thomas Egleston
Thomas Egleston (December 9, 1832 – January 15, 1900) was an American engineer who helped found Columbia University's School of Mines, now the School of Engineering and Applied Science (Columbia University), Fu Foundation School of Engineer ...
Medal from
Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (popularly known as SEAS or Columbia Engineering; previously known as Columbia School of Mines) is the engineering and applied science school of Columbia University. It was founded as th ...
, the highest award bestowed to alumni and graduates of the school.
He died at his home in
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...
on June 29, 1981. He was 86 years old and was survived by his wife, two daughters, and nine grandchildren.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wormser, Felix
1981 deaths
United States Department of the Interior officials
Columbia School of Mines alumni
Columbia Lions rowers
American engineers
People from Santa Barbara, California