Category: News

The A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum announced the generous donation of a collection of minerals from Richard and Bonnie Robbins. Richard graduated with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Michigan Tech in 1956. He assumed leadership of the Robbins Company, specializing in tunnel-boring technology including boring of the “chunnel” beneath the English Channel. Michigan Tech has recognized Robbins for his professional achievements and university engagement, including the Board of Control Silver Medal in 1990, Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1994, Honorary Doctorate of Engineering in 1996, National Campaign Chair for the 1999-2002 Leaders in Innovation Campaign, which raised $135 million, and the 2001 Melvin Calvin Medal of Distinction. Robbins and his wife Bonnie have established the James S. Robbins Endowed Scholarship in honor of Richard’s father and three endowed faculty chairs, the Robbins Chairs of Sustainability.

Richard Robbins had a passion for collecting smoky quartz crystals. His collection includes outstanding specimens from classic smoky quartz localities in the Swiss Alps including a high-quality clear smoky quartz crystal rising off white quartz from Uri, Switzerland. Another particularly notable specimen is a dark smoky quartz crystal with a white cap and fibrous tourmaline from Senora, Mexico. His collection includes multiple smoky crystals from Brazil with one large crystal showing hopper growth, as well as crystals from Himalaya, California, Montana, Pakistan, Tunisia, Arkansas, and New York. A large cluster of smoky quartz crystals on microcline from Colorado was still on display in the lobby of Robbins Company before the collection was shipped to Michigan Tech this past summer. This specimen is now on exhibit at the museum.

In his youth, Robbins spent lots of time prospecting for his father in Alaska. He recounts collecting jade from “Jade Mountain” in the Baird Mountains of the Brooks Range just north of the Kobuk River drainage in Alaska. In addition to the smoky quartz collection, Richard and Bonnie donated 275 lbs of Alaskan jade to the museum. The smoky quartz and jade represent significant additions to the museum’s collection. “I’m particularly pleased that the museum can preserve the legacy of Richard’s passion for minerals,” says Ted Bornhorst, executive director of the museum.

By the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum.

The A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum announces the opening of its newest gallery “Mining Minerals.” Many of the minerals in Michigan Tech’s collection are by-products of mining. The Mining Minerals gallery complements the adjacent “Minerals and You” gallery which demonstrates how minerals are important in our everyday lives through four exhibit cases showing many examples of uses of minerals, an exhibit case focused on minerals used in your car, and one focused on the uses of copper. Since minerals come from mines and they are a critical component of modern life, the new gallery is designed to help visitors better understand the entire mining cycle from beginning to end.

“A gallery focused on mining fits well with Michigan Tech’s origin in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School and with the museum’s mission to educate people about minerals” says Ted Bornhorst, the musuem’s executive director.

The new gallery consists of five exhibit showcases beginning with an outline of the types of Earth resources and an overview of the mining process.

The second exhibit case presents the activities necessary before a mine is created from exploring to discovery of a potential mineable resource which is followed by intense studies including design of the mining facility, environmental considerations, economics, mine closure and application for a mining permit.

Once the permit is approved, then the mining industrial complex can be constructed for an open-pit or underground mine as described in the third exhibit case. Mineral resources require simple to complex processing to make them ready for industrial applications as illustrated in the fourth exhibit case.

The last phase of the life of a mine is closure, the fifth exhibit case. The mine closure exhibit touches upon removal and repurposing of the surface mining infrastructure, reuse of non-hazardous mining waste and minimizing the impact of hazardous waste. The all-encompassing concept of sustainable or green mining is introduced.

The new Mining Minerals gallery is innovative as compared to mineral museums elsewhere because it covers the entire mining cycle in a holistic way, directly connects to the uses of minerals and augments the other mineral exhibits in the museum.

The museum welcomes the University and broader community to visit the museum to learn more about minerals and mining. Admission is waived for current Michigan Tech students as well as faculty and staff and their professional guests. Until November, the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

By the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum.

The A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum is looking forward to a new exhibit in the Phyllis and John Seaman Garden. A recently donated specimen of float copper, weighing approximately 400 lbs., with a beautiful green patina will become a center piece in the garden next spring after a stand is fabricated.

The specimen was donated by Val Vaughan-Drong of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota and Karen Brown of San Antonio, Texas in honor of their late parents Harry and Aili Vaughan. The float copper was discovered on the Vaughan property off Pike River Road near Chassell.

A second new outside exhibit will be located in an extension of the garden towards the Copper Pavilion. Patricia Carlon, of Bloomington, Illinois, donated a kibble to the museum in honor of her late husband, John Carlon, who was a long-time mineral dealer. A kibble is an iron bucket that was used to raise ore and waste rock from early mine shafts in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The kibble was found at the Robbins, or West Vein Mine, near Phoenix by a local deer hunter about 50 years ago and sold to a mineral dealer who resold it to Carlon.

Michigan Tech geology alumnus Ross Lillie ’79, owner of North Star Minerals in Traverse City, helped connect Carlon to the museum. Lillie describes this 1860s vintage kibble as a “historically significant, desirable mining artifact in outstanding condition with superlative provenance.” The kibble will go on exhibit next spring after a custom-designed display is constructed.

By the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum.