John Fairfield Thompson
American metallurgist (1881–1968)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Fairfield Thompson (March 8 1881 – July 13, 1968) was an American metallurgist who became President and later Chairman of Inco Limited.[1]
John Fairfield Thompson | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | March 8, 1881 |
| Died | July 13, 1968 (aged 87) |
| Education | Columbia University (BSc 1903, PhD 1906) |
| Occupation | Metallurgist |
| Known for | Making nickel into an important industrial metals |
| Spouse |
Elizabeth Fisher Wheeler
(m. 1911) |
Early years and education
Thompson was born a Unitarian in Portland, Maine, in 1881,[2] and attended Columbia University's School of Mines, receiving a Bachelor's degree in 1903 and a Ph.D. in 1906,[1] for his work on Platinum-Silver alloys.[3]
Career
Thompson joined Inco in 1906.[4] As Manager of Operations in 1921, he supervised the construction and initial operations of the Company's Huntington WV plant and rolling mill, founded for the production of high-nickel alloys.[1][5] As of 2025, this plant continued part of the Special Metals Corporation.
In 1948, he approved funding for a project to develop the stainless steel kitchen sink.[6]
Thompson became President of Inco in 1949 and Chairman in 1951.[5] He relinquished his role as President in 1952.[5]
Thompson, Manitoba was named in his honour because it was discovered in 1956 by the airborne magnetometer that he championed at INCO.[5]
In 1958 he received the AIME Charles F. Rand Gold Memorial Medal,[7] and honorary membership in the AIME in 1961.[1]
Thompson published at least one book, in 1960: "For the years to come : a story of International Nickel of Canada".[2]
Publications
- Thompson, John F. (November 1934). "'Near Noble' Nickel". Scientific American. 151 (5): 229–232. Bibcode:1934SciAm.151..229T. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1134-229. JSTOR 24968649.
- Thompson, John Fairfield; Beasley, Norman (1960). For the Years to Come: A Story of International Nickel of Canada. Toronto: Longmans, Green & Co.
Personal life and Legacy
Thompson had a son (1920-1971) who bore the same name, with his wife. Junior rose to become President of the ASPCA.[8]
He was awarded honorary degrees from Columbia University (1950), Queen's University at Kingston (1954) and Bowdoin College (1959) and Marshall College (1960). He is a commander in the Finnish Order of the White Rose.[1] Recipient of the Thomas Egleston Medal,[7] he is the subject of a photograph deposited at the Smithsonian Institution.[9]
Thompson died in 1968.[1]
In 2001 the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame inducted him,[6] and in 2011 the Thompson Manitoba community clock was erected in his honour.[10]