HISTORY  OF  THE

SME Oklahoma Metallurgical & Mining Section

Organization

The SME Oklahoma Metallurgical & Mining Section was organized on February 16, 1969.  The current by-laws were filed and accepted June 28, 1977.  The Oklahoma Section is a small part of the world's largest society of mineral professionals.  As a member Society of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum (AIME), SME traces its origins back to 1871 when a handful of mining engineers founded AIME.  Today, SME has more than 13,000 members with 70 local sections.

Oklahoma Section members represent professions serving the minerals industry.  SME programs and publications support all aspects of mineral resource exploration, mining, processing and reclamation.  

Earlier activities of Oklahoma Section included monthly meeting, guest speakers and tours of various industrial plants.  The Oklahoma Section serves all of the SME Members and Associate Members in the state of Oklahoma.   

Statewide Activities 

The Oklahoma Section has tried to accommodate statewide membership; however, most meeting are in the Oklahoma City area.   In the past, the Section developed timely contemporary theme programs.

Academic and Industrial Support 

Major corporations have provided support to the Oklahoma Section.  

Community Activities

The Oklahoma Section plans to provides tabletop displays with fliers, handouts, pictures and other hands-on displays at the Annual Engineer's Fair for nearly 4,000 pre-college students.  

From time to time, Section Members may meet with individual school science classes as requested by teachers.  They may also serve as guest speaker at other community functions.

Local Section Programs

In prior years, the Central Oklahoma Section held monthly evening meetings.  The meeting notices are distributed to our approximately 150 Members and Associate Members SME Oklahoma Section Newsletter.  Today approximately one-half of the newsletter distribution is by e-mail.

Goals

The goals of the SME Oklahoma Section are to encourage participation by the younger members of our area, enhance the interaction between members, industry and university and to orient local section meetings more directly toward specific local area interests.

Professional Recognition

The following members have celebrated 50 years with SME in 2001:

Fred Scharf - Tulsa, OK

The following members have celebrated 25 years with SME in 2001:

B. A. Massey - Ardmore, OK