Scott Turner (July 31, 1880 – July 30, 1972)''Who was who in America,'' Volume 5. 1973. p. 735 was an American

mining engineer Mining in the engineering discipline is the extraction of minerals from underneath, open pit, above or on the ground. Mining engineering is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, and ...

, director of 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 ...

, and 18th recipient of the

Hoover Medal The Hoover Medal is an American engineering prize. It has been given since 1930 for "outstanding extra-career services by engineers to humanity". The prize is given jointly by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Institute of Mi ...

Early life

Turner was born in 1880 in Lansing, Michigan, son of

James Munroe Turner James Munroe Turner (April 23, 1850July 6, 1896) was a Michigan politician. Early life James Munroe Turner was born in Lansing, Michigan on April 23, 1850 to parents James Madison Turner and Marian Munroe Turner. Career On November 7, 1876, T ...

and Sophie (Scott) Turner. His father owned a 1,200 acre Springdale Farm in Lansing, a property known for its prize beef at the time. His grandfather James Madison Turner built the Turner-Dodge House in Lansing. He obtained his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

in geology from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1902, and his EM from the Michigan College of Mines, now Michigan Technological University, in 1904.

Career

Turner started his career as mining engineer, developing mineral deposits in Alaska, Panama, Canada and 14 other countries. For a time he managed the Arctic Coal Company in Spitsbergen (now Svalbard). In

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he served in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

, and in 1915 he survived the sinking of the RMS ''Lusitania''. He was on the Lusitania to assess a coal discovery in Spitsbergen, Norway. From 1926 to 1934 he was 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 resigned in July 1934, but did not leave office until August 16, 1934. In 1932, he served as president of the

American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) is a professional association for mining and metallurgy, with over 145,000 members. It was founded in 1871 by 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Uni ...

(AIME).

Personal

Turner married Amy Prudden Jenison in 1919. She died on February 6, 1972. Turner sold Springdale Farm to the city of Lansing after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. From a portion of the property, the city built Arboretum Park in its place in the 1950s.

Death

Turner died on July 30, 1972 in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast, Greenwich is home to many hedge funds and other ...

. He was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Lansing.

References

External links

Scott Turner Collection, 1838-1972
1880 births 1972 deaths 20th-century American engineers American mining engineers Engineers from Michigan People from Lansing, Michigan RMS Lusitania Michigan Technological University alumni United States Bureau of Mines personnel United States Navy personnel of World War I University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni {{US-engineer-stub