George B. Munroe

(1922-2014)

1985 Inductee into American Mining Hall of Fame

George B. Monroe graduated from Dartmouth College in 1943 and, following service in the U. S. Navy, graduated from Harvard Law School in 1949. He then attended Christ Church College, Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a B.A. degree in 1951.

After several years of government service in Germany and the practice of law in New York, Mr. Munroe joined Phelps Dodge Corporation in 1958. He was elected a Vice President in 1962, and President and a director in 1966. He became chief executive officer in 1969, and was elected Chairman of the Board in 1975, continuing as chief executive officer.

In 1969, the year in which Mr. Munroe became chief executive, Phelps Dodge produced 224,200 tons of copper – a record year for the company, which has mined copper in Arizona since 1881. In 1985, the company will produce about 400,000 tons – another record - and Phelps Dodge is now the country's largest producer of copper. The Tyrone and Metcalf mines, the Hidalgo smelter, and the company's modern continuous cast rod mills in El Paso, Texas, and Norwich. Connecticut, were all completed during his tenure.

Mr. Munroe is a director of the American Mining Congress, the Copper Development Association, the International Copper Research Association, and a number of corporations and educational institutions.

Print Version     Previous     Archive     Next