Edward Wilson Davis papers

Edward Wilson Davis, B.A. (1911), Electrical Engineering degree (1918), Purdue University. Joined the staff of the school of mines (1912) at the University of Minnesota; served as superintendent (1918-1937), and director (1938-1951) of mines experiment station at the University of Minnesota. Considered the father of the taconite industry by pioneering modern processing of lower grade ore.

E. W. "Bud" Davis, "Mr. Taconite" was born on May 8, 1888 in Cambridge, Indiana. He received a BA in 1911 and an electrical engineering degree in 1918 from Purdue University. He began working at the University of Minnesota as an instructor in mathematics in the School of Mines from 1912-1915. He became superintendent-professor of the Mines Experiment Station in 1919 and was director-professor from 1938 until 1951. He was appointed as professor in 1951 retiring from the University as professor emeritus in 1955. He was awarded honorary doctorates from Purdue University (1955) and the University of Minnesota (1956).

Davis is most noted for a process he developed that could easily produce a pig-iron ingot from taconite ore, greatly increasing efficiency and making the mining of taconite economically feasible. After retiring from the University in 1955, Davis was a consultant for the Reserve Mining Company in Silver Bay, Minnesota, and chairman of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Committee on Mining. Throughout his career, he wrote over 30 mining related articles, such as Pioneering With Taconitepublished in October of 196, and held 15 patents. Edward Wilson Davis died in Duluth, Minnesota December 3, 1973.