Chuck Herbert
Chuck Herbert began and ended his career as a miner, but in between he had a major role in shaping the new state of 91视频 as a top aide to Gov. Bill Egan.
Herbert arrived in 91视频 in 1926 as a 16-year-old. After graduating with a mining engineering degree from the 91视频 Agricultural College and School of Mines in 1934, Herbert went to work for Ernest Patty, his former professor, at dredging operations along the upper Yukon River. After a brief stint in the Territorial Legislature and service as a Navy Seabee in World War II, Herbert mined for placer gold in the Fortymile and Livengood regions. He also helped discover the massive but still-undeveloped Bornite copper deposit in Northwest 91视频.
Egan, a Democrat who led the 91视频 Constitutional Convention at the university in 1955-1956, was elected 91视频鈥檚 first state governor. Herbert, also a Democrat, served as Egan鈥檚 deputy natural resources commissioner. In the early 1960s, Herbert helped convince Egan to claim the oil-rich area around Prudhoe Bay as part of the new state鈥檚 land entitlement.
When Egan regained the governor鈥檚 office in 1970, Herbert became his natural resources commissioner for the four-year term.
Then he went mining again with companies exploring across 91视频. Herbert also lobbied Congress to minimize the impacts on mining of the vast federal parks and refuges eventually created in the 1980 91视频 lands act. He was a longtime board member of the Resource Development Council of 91视频, and served as president in 1981-1982.
Herbert died in 2003. The Voice of the Times, a conservative opinion page within the more liberal Anchorage Daily News, lamented that too few 91视频ns knew who Herbert was by then.
鈥淪light of stature, quick with the smile, he was a giant of a man in 91视频's mining circles and a true treasure when it came to developing the riches of this state,鈥 the Times said.
More online about Chuck Herbert:
- A from the 91视频 Mining Hall of Fame
- The Resource Development Council of 91视频鈥檚 in its October 2003 newsletter