Rossiter W. Raymond

(1840-1918)

1989 Inductee from Mining's Past

Rossiter W. Raymond was a pre-eminent publicist and educator who was considered to be the dean of the mining profession in the United States for 50 years, at a time when the United States was emerging as a world leader in mining.

Raymond entered the Royal Mining Academy in Freiberg, Saxony, in 1857 and also attended Heidelberg and Munich Universities. During the Civil War, he served as an aide-de-camp to Major General John C. Fremont. In 1868, he was appointed as the United States Commissioner of Mineral Statistics. In that position, he provided valuable insight and advice to the United States Congress on the passage and implementation of the Mining Law of 1872. His lengthy analysis prepared for the United States Congress of "the relation of governments to mining", in which he presented in great detail the historical derivation of the mining law. Together with other of his prolific writings, this work still serves as a valuable insight into the legal and historical basis of the United States Mining Laws. Between 1875 and 1895, he was a consulting engineer and in 1898 he entered the practice of law.

Raymond was one of the original members of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and held various offices, including President from 1872 to 1875. In his position as Secretary between 1884 and 1911, he edited 40 volumes of the transactions and served as editor of the Engineering and Mining Journal from 1867 to 1890. His frequent contributions to both publications continue to provide a rich source of commentary on the formative years of the mineral industry.

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