Dr. Frank E. Kottlowski, 80, passed away on
Wednesday, April 18, 2001. He was born on April 11, 1921, in
Indianapolis, Indiana. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Florence
Jean, and his three daughters and their spouses, five grandchildren and
their spouses, and three great-grandchildren.
Frank began his higher education at Butler University as a business
major, but World War II interrupted and he served as an aerial navigator
and photographic interpreter for the 8th Air Force from 1942 to 1945.
After the war, he attended Indiana University and was one semester away
from completing his certified public accountant degree when he took a
geology course from Charles Deiss. That exciting teacher sold Frank on
geology, who received his B.A in 1947 in geology. Within his next four
years at Indiana, Frank received his M.A. in structural geology (1949) and
Ph.D. in economic geology (1951).
In 1951, Frank accepted a position at the New Mexico Bureau of Mines
and Mineral Resources as an economic geologist. From 1951 until 1974 he
became familiar with the history, geography, economic geology,
stratigraphy, and structural geology of all of New Mexico, and friends say
that he could easily recall the details and relevance of every significant
outcrop in the state.
Frank was the director of the Bureau, and later state geologist, from
1974 to 1991, and his administration was marked by substantial growth in
personnel, budget, and influence of the organization. His early CPA
training came in handy as director, and his colleagues at the bureau
recall Frank's attention to budget numbers.
Upon retirement in 1991, Frank received status from New Mexico Tech.
Even in retirement, his work ethic required him to put in many hours in
his office, tying up those loose ends that were acquired in the more than
50 years of geological work, especially those in New Mexico.
Frank's passion for geology produced more than 200 significant papers,
many reports, and a textbook, Measuring Stratigraphic Sections. His
interests in economic geology, particularly coal, Paleozoic and Mesozoic
rocks in southern New Mexico, and Cenozoic and Quaternary rocks in the Rio
Grande rift, are well known. Within New Mexico he served on numerous
boards, commissions, and panels that supervise, advise, oversee, and
otherwise offer advice on a wide variety of mineral resources or
extractive or environmental activities. Nationally, Frank served on many
committees, a large number within the Geological Society of America and
American Association of Petroleum Geologists as councilor, chair, or
editor, and he received numerous awards and several honorary memberships.
Frank had a longtime association with the American Association of State
Geologists. Over the 17 years he was director of the New Mexico Bureau of
Mines and Mineral Resources, he attended many meetings of the AASG and
served on the AASG Liaison Committee that meets with the government
entities in Washington, D.C. Frank clearly saw the power of this
organization to influence geologic thought and policy in the United
States. In this regard, the AASG and its few members, just one person from
each of the states, exert tremendous influence when they speak with one
voice.
To close friends, as well as those who knew him slightly, Frank
Kottlowski was a caring, humble man. Regardless of the awards and honors
heaped on him, Frank would respond with the names of so many others who
helped him. David Schoderbek, one of his sons-in-law and a geologist,
summed up Frank's life this way, "In every way, Frank was exceedingly
generous. Not only of his highly sought-after time, but also of his ideas,
his credit, his praise, his listening, and his material possessions. Frank
gave freely of whatever he had to give, whether it was the last sip of
water in his canteen or his valued editorial advice. Frank's personal and
professional integrity was unexcelled. Frank was consistently fair and
even-handed, always extending the benefit of the doubt to those in need.
His door was always open, and he was often sought-out for advice by his
friends and colleagues."
What a world this would be if these words could be said of us all.
A memorial endowment has been established in memory of Frank
Kottlowski. Details are at Frank E. Kottlowski Memorial Endowment. Contributions may
be sent to: Advancement Office, Brown 111, New
Mexico Tech, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, N.M. 87801. On your check, in
the "memo" section, please write "Kottlowski Endowment."
William C. Meeks, Sr., age 72, passed away on
Aug. 31, 2001. Bill graduated from New Mexico Tech in 1955 with a
bachelor's degree in geophysics. He worked for many years at White Sands
Proving Grounds (now White Sands Missile Range). He was a resident of
Carrizozo, N.M., where he had served as a magistrate judge for four years.
The family would appreciate donations to the Kidney Foundation or the
Lupus Foundation in his name.
Charles Nathan, age 81, died on Wednesday,
Sept. 26, 2001. Dr. Nathan was a professor of petroleum engineering at
New Mexico Tech. He graduated from San Jacinto High School in 1936 and
with distinction from Rice Institute (now Rice University) in 1940. He
received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from the University of
Pittsburgh in 1942 and 1948, respectively.
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy and participated in the
atomic-bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946. In addition to two years of
active military duty, he served nine years in the Naval Reserve. He
retired as a lieutenant in naval intelligence.
Nathan worked as a chemical engineer with Monsanto, Texaco, and Betz
laboratories. He published and lectured widely on corrosion-related
topics. At Betz, he was instrumental in their entry into coal conversion,
geothermal, and solar applications. He was a member of a U.S. delegation
of corrosion specialists sent by the National Science Foundation to the
U.S.S.R. in 1975.
In 1977, Nathan joined New Mexico Tech as deputy director of the
Research and Development Division. In August 1981, he was appointed
profesor of petroleum engineering. He served in that capacity until he
retired in 1989. He passed away in Houston, where he had lived since
then.
Dr. Nathan had a lifelong commitment to the Jewish community in every
city in which he lived. He taught religious school at several synagogues
and led many adult education classes. In later life, he was a member of
Temple Emanu El in Houston, one of whose founders was his father, William
Max Nathan. He was active in the Democratic Party.
At the memorial service, Rabbi Robert I. Kahn told how he first met
Charles, then a junior in high school, and how he selected him, later on,
to be a groomsman in his wedding. Rabbi Kahn said, "He was a unique
personality with a splendid mind. He will be remembered for his
intellect." Rabbi Roy A. Walter elicited warm and knowing laughter when
he referred to Charles as a curmudgeon and as a man who "was respected for
his character."
Dr. Nathan was a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers; a registered Professional Engineer (Texas); and an Accredited
Corrosion Specialist by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers
(NACE). He was a member of the honorary societies Phi Beta Kappa, Tau
Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, and Phi Lambda Upsilon.
Dr. Nathan was predeceased by his beloved wife, Sylvia, who passed away
in 1986. He is survived by his dear companion, Muriel Shaw, of Houston;
by daughters Anita Backenstein of California, Debbie Nathan and Miriam
Lerner of New York, and Barbara Katz of Dallas; by their husbands, and by
five grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to Hillel, 1700 Bissonnet, Houston,
Tex., 77005; Hospice at the Texas Medical Center, 1905 Holcombe St.,
Houston, Tex., 77030; or a charity of choice.
Dr. Per-Anders Persson, an internationally
known explosives expert, former director of New Mexico Tech's Center for
Explosives Technology Research (CETR) and a professor emeritus of mining
engineering, passed away on Aug. 11, as a result of complications of lung
cancer.
Persson, who had developed an international reputation as an explosives
expert in Sweden before he came to Tech, was remembered by friends as an
outgoing, likeable, friendly man who enjoyed his work and was helpful to
researchers in his field.
Persson was born in Halsingbord, Sweden, in 1930. After earning a
master's degree in mechanical engineering at Chalmers Institute of
Technology in Sweden, he attended Cambridge University in the United
Kingdom, where he earned his Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1961.
Between 1965 and 1984, Persson held overlapping positions at Nitro
Nobel AB, (the company founded by Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite) and
the Swedish Detonic Research Foundation, a consortium between the Swedish
government and several Swedish private companies. While at Nitro Nobel,
Persson invented the NONEL detonator system, which is now widely used in
industry. NONEL was a non-electric detonating system that was not subject
to the accidental consequences of electric sparks or lightning strikes, as
earlier detonating systems were. The invention made his reputation, and
would have made him a fortune had not the patents been owned by the
Swedish government.
In 1984, Persson came to New Mexico Tech as director of CETR, a newly
funded Center for Technical Excellence at the university.
Dr. Catherine Aimone-Martin, professor of mineral engineering, recalled
how Persson's appointment came about. "In the early 1980s, Marx Brook,
then vice-president for Research and Development, Marc Meyers (who was
associate professor of metallurgy) and I wrote a proposal to the state for
$5 million for five years to establish the Center for Explosives
Technology Research (CETR) at New Mexico Tech. Since Tech was renowned in
explosives research, we proposed to focus in the area of commercial
explosives
"When we got the money, we realized that we needed an outstanding
director for this center. I happened to attend an ISEE [International
Society for Explosives Engineers] meeting later that month, and I met with
Per-Anders, whom I had previously known. At that time he was Research
Director at Nitro Nobel. I explained the Center concept to him and invited
him to consider applying for the director position. Since he was not fully
familiar with our research history, but intrigued with the idea, I thought
it best to invite him to the campus. Marx Brook agreed to fund his trip to
Socorro. Dr. Persson was absolutely amazed at our facilities and excited
about the prospects of leading a research center in the United States.
"Dr. Brook became fast friends with Per-Anders. Dr. Persson brought his
wife May back on an official interview trip and eventually Dr. Persson
took the position. After accepting the job, he would often say, in jest,
'It's all Cathy's fault that I'm here in Socorro.' In reality, he loved
Socorro and his job. It was not I that brought him here but rather his
unparralled international reputation."
Persson was director of the Center for Explosives Technology Research
(CETR) from 1984 to 1992 and Director for the Research Center for
Energetic Materials (RCEM) from 1984, as well as chief scientist at the
Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center from 1992. During 10
years, he built CETR into a self-supporting center of technical excellence
in explosives technology, with an emphasis on a deeper fundamental
understanding of the physical and chemical mechanisms of explosives
decomposition reactions in slow heating, burning, shock initiation, and
detonation.
With support from Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories and
funding from the State of New Mexico, he built shock and detonation
physics test facilities equipped with advanced instrumentation for
photographic and electronic recording of detonation and shock phenomena;
an explosives safety testing and processing laboratory; and a new
materials laboratory devoted to dynamic processing of novel metallic and
ceramic materials. He hired, trained, and lead research staff and
developed continued education training and graduate level academic course
programs in explosive-related subjects. One of his major achievements was
to bring a team of researchers from CETR and academic departments together
with a consortium of private industry and federal laboratories and
agencies to form the NSF-supported Research Center for Energetic Materials
in 1986.
Persson taught graduate-level courses in explosives technology, rock
blasting, and mining technology, shock and detonation physics and
chemistry, and supported numerous masters and Ph.D. students in their
research. He was lead co-author of a combined university-level textbook
and engineering reference book, Rock Blasting and Explosives
Engineering, which was published in 1994. He had an earlier book,
Detonics of High Explosives, published by Academic Press in 1970.
Among Persson's many awards were the Polhem Medal (1975) awarded by the
Swedish Institute of Technology; Distinguished Service Award (1980) by the
Society of Explosives Engineers; Swedish Inventors Award (1985) by the
Swedish Board for Technical Development; and the Nitro Nobel Medal (1990)
awarded by Nitro Nobel AB for the invention of the NONEL detonator system.
Persson is survived by his wife May, who lives in Socorro, and his
children: Philip Persson and wife Anne, Thomas Graan and wife Birgitta,
and Elizabeth Svahn, who all live in Sweden.
A memorial fund is being established. Contributions may be mailed
to: Advancement Office, New Mexico Tech, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, N.M.,
87801. Checks should be made out to New Mexico Tech, and on the memo line
write "Persson Endowment."
Paul M. Perry, age 53, passed away on Sunday,
August 12, 2001 from complications due to skin cancer. He was born on
October 11, 1947 in Azusa, Calif. He was a 1969 graduate of New Mexico
Institute of Mining & Technology with a B.S. in physics. He earned his
Ph.D. in physics from Oregon Institute in Beaverton, Ore. Dr. Perry
worked at Western Geophysical Company from 1973 to 2001. He loved
gardening and cooking and was very active in Park Glen West Community
Association. He was a charter member of the National Home Gardening Club.
Paul is survived by his sister Becky Perry Kelher (86, BS,
geology) and her husband Robert.
Robert L. Schell, age 84, passed away on Feb.
19, 2000. as a 1939 graduate of the New Mexico School of Mines, with a
bachelor's degree in mining engineering.
Schell was born on Sept. 14, 1915, in Lang, Saskatchewan, Canada, the
son of Edward R. Schell and Edna McCallum Schell. The family returned to
the United States in 1919, to Wheaton, Ill. Schell graduated from Wheaton
Academy, where his father had been headmaster. He then attended New
Mexico School of Mines, and upon graduation, began a career as a mining
engineer which took him to Idaho, Arizona, and Nicaragua.
Schell met his wife Rosalie Schulz, while she was vacationing and he
was en route to his post in Nicaragua. They married in 1942. A year
later, he and his wife moved to Bauxite, Ark., and he began a long career
with Alcoa. During the late Forties, he was the company's mining
superintendent in Surinam. After he returned to Bauxite, he was Alcoa's
Works Chief Engineer and the production manager for raw materials. He
took great pride and satisfaction in his work and he developed life-long
friendships with many of his colleagues and co-workers at Alcoa, in
Surinam in and Bauxite. He retired in 1977.
Schell participated actively in Bauxite community life and devoted time
and energy to civic affairs, serving as president for the Bauxite Lions
Club, district governor for his district, president for more than 10 years
of the Arkansas Pollution Control and Econogy Commission, and state
chairman for the Arkansas Lions Sight Conservation Committee (a favorite
charity of his had been Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind, now Lion World
Enterprises for the Blind.) He served as chairman for the Saline County
Community Fund. He had been a member and chairman of the board of
stewards of the First United Methodist Church of Bauxite. After the
Bauxite church closed in 1968, he was a member of the First United
Methodist Church in Benton and served on its administrative board.
Schell enjoyed traveling, especially by train, and he would often
choose a wayward route over the continent to enjoy the rails with his
family. He was an enthusiastic model railroader. He loved sports,
especially baseball and the Razorbacks, and he imparted those interests to
his daughter at an early age.
He was a devoted and generous husband and father.
Schell is survived by his daughter, Dr. Margaret A. Schell, and her
husband, Wilson Jones, of Little Rock. His wife Rosalie, died in 1998.
Bonita C. Tsosie, a student at New Mexico Tech,
passed away on Aug. 8, 2001, possibly due to an epileptic seizure.
Bonita was 35.
Bonita was known to many faculty, staff, and students at Tech as a
friendly, smiling, and perpetually helpful person with an infectious
laugh. She was active in AISES (American Indian Society of Engineering
and Science). She was always willing to volunteer for Science Fair,
Science Olympiad, alumni events, and many other events. She always had an
encouraging word for students and friends.
The funeral service was held on August 14, in Shiprock, N.M. Because
of Bonita's many friends in Socorro, a memorial service was held in town
on September 15.
She is survived by her mother Irene Bekis-Begay of Tocito, and sisters
Bernadette Tsosie (91, BS, geology; 98, MS, geology), of Tocito and
Teresa Washburn of Hogback. Cards may be sent to Irene Bekis-Begay at at
P.O. Box 3048 in Shiprock, NM 87420.
Contributions to help the family with burial costs may be made in her
memory to: Bonita Tsosie Memorial Account, Bank of America, 201 Plaza NW
Socorro, N.M. 87801, or by calling (505) 835-1569.
The Alumni Office has received word of the passing of William
Wittmeyer (48, BS, mining engineering). No further information was
available.
