Meet all Mining Hall of Fame inductees

Mining Hall of Fame

Meet the Inductees
Leadville, CO 80461
4.8
(89)
Winter hours:
Tuesday-Sunday | 9AM - 4:45PM
Closed Mondays
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About

The National Mining Hall of Fame holds more than 250 stories of men and women who achieved lasting greatness in mining and natural resources. Browse it to learn of these and other fascinating stories:

Also included are plaques for honorees of the Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame, established in 2013 to pay tribute to the pioneers of the past and present-day industry leaders.

New members are inducted each fall. Learn how to nominate a National Hall of Fame inductee.

Amazing Hall of Fame Stories

  • Jesus Garcia, who saved a town from destruction when the dynamite on his train caught fire near a powder magazine. Before he was killed in the blast, he ordered his crew to jump to safety.
  • Alfred Nobel, who created the Nobel Prize, also invented dynamite and 350 other explosive devices, giving miners the power to blast through even the hardest rock.
  • Ellen Swallow Richards, considered the first ecologist and one of the first to recognize the environmental aspects of mining. She was likely the first woman to receive a collegiate-level science degree in the United States.
  • John L. Lewis and Mother Jones, who each fought fiercely for labor rights.
  • Former United States President Herbert Hoover, who first was a mining engineer and who, with his wife and Hall of Fame inductee Lou Henry Hoover, produced the first English translation of De Re Metallica, a mining treatise in use for more than 350 years.
  • Leadville’s first power couple, wealthy silver king Horace A.W. Tabor and his first wife, Augusta Tabor, likely the first woman to conduct mining operations in Colorado. Visit the Hall of Fame and Matchless Mine to learn more about this dynamic duo.

Inductee Database →

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General Information

The National Mining Hall of Fame honors men and women who have made substantial contributions to mining and natural resources. New members are inducted each fall. Nominate an inductee.
Qualifications:

A candidate must have had a personal impact upon the mining industry for 30 years or be at least 55 years old or deceased. Prospectors, miners, mining leaders, engineers, teachers, financiers, inventors, journalists, rascals, geologists, and others will be considered. Candidates do not need to be U.S. citizens.
Candidates must have demonstrated outstanding lifetime achievements to benefit the American and/or world mineral industry, with a flow-back of significant benefit to the USA, in one or more of these categories:Exploration, Operations, and ProcessingBuilding the Corporation Technical Contribution Supporting Contribution Mining in Society

Process

The Board of Governors, which consists of outstanding leaders in the industry, selects inductees from the candidate list.
The chosen candidates are inducted at the annual banquet. Their engraved photographs and biographies are placed in the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum.

The deadline for nominations for induction in 2024 is December 31, 2023.

DOWNLOAD THE NOMINATION FORM
REVIEWS

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Best Family Fun

So many things to see! So much to learn!  So many amazing rocks to look at and interesting stories to read about! Great hidden GEM!

Friendly staff

Leadville is an amazing day trip for those looking to explore the mountains and learn about Colorado's mining history. Definitely, do not miss this museum! While you're here, go check out the Matchless Mine, a great piece of history that's been preserved

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