Arch. Min. Sci., Vol. 54 (2009), No 1, p.

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Electronic version (in color) of this article is available: http://mining.archives.pl

IN MEMORIAM

Professor
Malcolm John McPherson
16.02.1937-12.11.2008

Foreign Member
of the
Polish Academy of Sciences

Malcolm J. McPherson died on 12th November 2008 in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

where he was the Massey Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering at the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University. This marked the end of a long successful
career, which included most aspects of academic and practical leadership in the field of
subsurface ventilation, mine safety and environmental engineering. He was also a talented
experienced mining engineer who had an excellent organising and co-ordinating ability
which are features of much of his work and professional activity. Together it brought
him outstanding international recognition. This in itself is impressive but it was backed
by a great personal warmth and this is how many will also remember him.
M. J. McPherson, born in Scotland, following a long family mining tradition, worked
for five years as a miner and rescue brigadesman in the Midlands Coalfield in England. In
1958 he became an undergraduate in the Department of Mining Engineering, University
of Nottingham, from where he graduated with 1st Class Honours in 1962. The Head of
the Mining Engineering Department at the time was Professor F. Baden Hinsley who
was the recognised leader of research into mine ventilation systems. Professor Hinsley
invited M. J. McPherson to enrol as a Ph.D. student under his supervision. He success-
fully completed this in 1965 and had impressed Professor Hinsley, who asked him to
continue with his research at Nottingham. M. J. McPherson started his academic career
at the University of Nottingham as a Lecturer in Mining Engineering (1964-1974) then
continued as Senior Lecturer (1974-1978) and Reader, which recognises outstanding
research performance (1978-1981). He left the University of Nottingham in 1981 to take
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up the position of Professor of Mining Engineering, University of California, Berkeley.

In 1992 he moved to become Massey Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering
at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1992-2003); Associate Dean for
Research and Graduate Studies (1997-2001); Interim Dean, College of Engineering at
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Emeritus Massey Professor since
2003. Other professional positions held by him were: President of the Mine Ventilation
Services Inc., (1983-2003), a consulting organization founded by him; Director, Generic
Minerals Technology Center, Mine Safety and Environmental Engineering (1992-1998);
Director, Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research (1996-1999).
Research interests and achievements of Professor M. J. McPherson cover a wide
range of topics within mine ventilation, safety in mines, mining and environmental en-
gineering. In the field of mine ventilation he was a pioneer in the development and use
of digital computer methods for mine ventilation network analysis to assist design and
planning. His work inspired many others to use this digital approach leading to devel-
opments for the computer simulation of climatic conditions, non-steady flow of air and
gases in workings and mine ventilation networks etc., this then consequently resulted
in the use of computer programs being adopted widely as an integral part of modern
mine practice. The resulting rising demand from the mines for the design and analysis
of mine ventilation networks led to the formation of Mine Ventilation Services Inc. He
obtained further original achievements by conducting fundamental research in the fields of
methane emission, migration and better control in mine workings; subsurface air quality,
ie. concerning heat and humidity, physiological reactions to climatic conditions in deep
mines; emission and control of gaseous and particulate pollutants in closed ventilation
systems; thermodynamic and fluid aspects of the behaviour of aerosols in workings and
mixtures of air and water passing large fans; nuclear waste isolation by investigations of
airflow and climatic conditions in deep rock repositories of high level and transuranic
waste; mine fires, explosions of methane and coal dust. Professor M. J. McPherson was
invited and engaged in consultancy work for mine companies, state mining authorities
and other organisations in many countries. He was also an expert witness or consultant
in connection with investigations into many mine disasters eg. Westray Mine Disaster,
Nowa Scotia, Canada.
Professor M. J. McPherson published the results of his research in the field of mine
ventilation and environmental engineering in over 170 papers and articles in scientific
journals and proceedings of congresses, conferences etc.. In addition he wrote an excel-
lent wide-ranging textbook on Subsurface Ventilation and Environmental Engineering
(1993), which truly reflects the breadth and completeness of his understanding. It is
likely to be used as a reference work for many years to come. It is also a fitting tribute
to someone who spent much of his life trying to pass on knowledge to others and it is
also an insight into why he was so outstandingly good at doing it.
Achievements and recognition have brought to Professor M. J. McPherson honours
as well as duties. He became: elected for life Foreign Member of the Polish Academy
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of Sciences (1997), the H. L. Hartman Award of Society of Mining Engineers (1991),

Distinguished Member of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration of AIME
(1989), Sam Mayor Prize of the Institution of Mining Engineers (1965) and many other
honours. He was elected or asked to join many national and international committees,
editorial boards etc., to mention only a few: Member, Mine Safety and Health Advisory
Committee, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Member; International
Mine Ventilation Congress Committee (1975-1984); Advisor and Contributing Author,
Committee on Measurement and Control of Respirable Dust, U. S. National Academy
of Sciences (1979-1980); Member, International Advisory Board, Archives of Mining
Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences.
Professor M. J. McPherson was in Poland on many occasions: attending the 7th
International Mine Ventilation Congress held in 2001 in Cracow; 26th International
Conference of Safety in Mines Institutes, Katowice (1995); International Conference on
Automation of Mines and Collieries, Cracow, (1969); visiting: coal mines; the Institute
of Strata Mechanics, Polish Academy of Sciences; Central Mining Institute, Katowice;
Center for Electrical Engineering and Automation in Mining (EMAG),Katowice;
Academy of Mining and Metallurgy, Cracow. During these visits Professor and Mrs
McPherson met many people which resulted in links and friendships some of which
have remained throughout his life.
On behalf of the Editorial Board of the Archives of Mining Sciences and all
Polish friends I extend the deepest sympathy to his wife Shirley and to the McPherson
family.

Wacław Trutwin