- Richard Geren
Richard Geren (1917 - 2002)
geologist working withLabrador Mining and Exploration , was a key member of a team that defined high-grade iron ore deposits in theKnob Lake area of northeasternQuebec . The deposit's magnitude and significance led to the formation, in 1949, of theIron Ore Company of Canada (IOCC). Geren led pre-production studies and became Manager of IOCC's operations at Schefferville, where he faced numerous challenges associated with building a large mining operation in isolated sub-Arctic conditions.Geren was born in
Columbus, Ohio . His interest in mining originated in 1935 by a chance meeting with two geologists in northernOntario . He earned his B.Sc. degree in geology fromOhio State University . Then he returned toCanada and started his career in the Timmins gold-mining area.During the Second World War, he served in the
Royal Canadian Air Force . Afterwards he was employed byLabrador Mining and Exploration Company . He was given a mandate to confirm iron ore deposits of sufficient size inLabrador and northeasternQuebec to justify building a mine and railroad. More than 400 million tonnes were proven in theKnob Lake area inLabrador , which led to the creation of theIron Ore Company of Canada and the construction of theQuebec North Shore and Labrador Railway (QNS & L) and the Town of Schefferville. Geren was appointed as supervising geologist and chief mining engineer and then Mine Superintendent from 1954 to 1961. In 1961, he became Assistant Manager of IOCC. He became an Executive Vice-President of IOCC in 1976, a position he held until his retirement.During retirement, Geren and another former IOCC employee, Blake McCullogh, collaborated in writing a corporate history of the Iron Ore Company of Canada titled ""
In 1983, Geren was awarded the Inco Medal by the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (CIMM) in recognition of a "legacy of pioneering spirit and leadership that has help the iron ore industry weather economic difficulties and rekindle hope to meet the challenge for survival."
In 1984, Geren was invested as Officer of the
Order of Canada , Canada's highest civilian honour. In 2001 he was inducted into theCanadian Mining Hall of Fame .External links
* [http://www.halloffame.mining.ca/halloffame/english/bios/geren.html] Hall of Fame (Mining)
* [http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=623] Order of Canada
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