Frederick Laist, First James Douglas Gold Medalist

THE first award of the James Douglas gold medal for achievement in non-ferrous metallurgy was made to Frederick Laist, of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., and the presentation ceremony was a feature of the annual banquet of the Institute at the Waldorf, on Feb. 21. Frederick Laist was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 30, 1878. In his early youth his parents moved to California where, in 1901, Mr. Laist graduated from the University of California, in the course of chemical en-gineering. For one year after graduation he was an in-structor in chemistry at the University of Utah. Fol-lowing this he was employed as a chemist in the lab-oratory of the Washoe Reduction Works of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., where in successive stages he has occupied the position of chief chemist, blast-furnace superintend-ent, assistant superintend-ent of the entire plant, superintendent, and finally manager of the Anaconda company's reduction plants in Montana, which position he now holds. Mr. Laist, in his labora-tory work, manifested great interest in the hydrometal-lurgy of copper and zinc. As chief chemist at Anaconda, he brought the laboratory to a high degree of efficiency.