Joseph Austin Holmes (January 23, 1859 – July 15, 1915) was a geologist and occupational safety and health pioneer, best known as the first director of the

U.S. Bureau of Mines For most of the 20th century, the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was the primary Federal government of the United States, United States government agency conducting scientific research and disseminating information on the extraction, proce ...

. He is the namesake of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association created in 1916.

Early life and education

Joseph Austin Holmes was born on January 23, 1859, in

Laurens, South Carolina Laurens is a city in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 9,139 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Laurens County. History Located in upstate South Carolina, the city of Laurens is named after Henry Laure ...

. He was one of 12 children, and attended Laurens Academy. He graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

in 1881 with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

in agriculture. Holmes also got a

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

from the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

and a PhD from the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

Career

In 1881, Holmes was appointed as professor of geology and natural history at the

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. He served as department head from 1881 to 1891 and left the university in 1903. He was appointed as the first state geologist of North Carolina in 1891 and served in that role until 1905. He was in charge of the North Carolina Geological Survey. Holmes organized the North Carolina Good Roads Association and served as its president. He organized and directed the Department of Mines and Metallurgy at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1903 and 1904. He was also appointed to a congressional committee involved in investigating better ways to use domestically produced fuels and materials. Impressed by his work at the World's Fair, President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

appointed Holmes as chief of the

U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...

laboratories in 1904. In 1907, he was appointed as chief of the new technological branch of the U.S. Geological Survey, the division in charge of investigating mine accidents. In 1910, Holmes was appointed by President Taft as the Director of the newly formed

. The appointment came as a surprise to many because of tensions existing between Holmes and the Secretary of the Interior Richard A. Ballinger. Under Holmes's leadership, the first national mine safety demonstration was hosted in an experimental mine in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

. He also helped develop the

Weeks Act The Weeks Act is a federal law (36 Stat. 961) enacted by the United States Congress on March 1, 1911. Introduced by Massachusetts Congressman John W. Weeks and signed into law by President William Howard Taft, the law authorized the United States ...

, 1911 legislation that facilitated the creation of national forests. Holmes discovered that the dust from

black coal Bituminous coal, or black coal, is a type of coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen or asphalt. Its coloration can be black or sometimes dark brown; often there are well-defined bands of bright and dull material within the seams. It ...

was more dangerous than

firedamp Firedamp is any flammable gas found in coal mines, typically coalbed methane. It is particularly found in areas where the coal is bituminous. The gas accumulates in pockets in the coal and adjacent strata and when they are penetrated the releas ...

for miners. He discovered that coal dust could also cause mine explosions. This ended the dangerous practice of packing explosives in boreholes using coal dust. He organized the Explosives and Electrical Sections of the Bureau to improve safety in mines and equipped railroad cars as movable stations used to train miners in first aid and rescue operations. He was a fellow of the

Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitch ...

Personal life

Holmes married Jean Daiziel Sprunt of

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...

. Together, they had four children: Joseph, James, Jean and Margaret. His contemporaries sometimes referred to him as "Joe Holmes".

Death

Holmes contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

in 1914 and died of the disease in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, on July 13, 1915. He was interred at

Rock Creek Cemetery Rock Creek Cemetery is an cemetery with a natural and rolling landscape located at Rock Creek Church Road, NW, and Webster Street, NW, off Hawaii Avenue, NE, in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. It is across the stre ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Legacy

A year after his death, in 1916, the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association was established to pay respect and honor the work Holmes did. Holmes was inducted posthumously into the

National Mining Hall of Fame The National Mining Hall of Fame is a museum located in Leadville, Colorado, United States, dedicated to commemorating the work of miners and people who work with natural resources. The museum also participates in efforts to inform the public ab ...

in 1990. He is remembered for coining the phrase, "Safety First", as used as a watchword in the mines.

References

External links

1859 births 1915 deaths People from Laurens, South Carolina 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Colorado Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery Cornell University alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni University of Pittsburgh alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty United States Geological Survey personnel United States Bureau of Mines personnel American geologists Fellows of the Geological Society of America {{US-geologist-stub