The passing of an NBMG friend, Robert C. Horton
Friends of NBMG,
We are sad to inform you that Robert C. Horton, second Associate Director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, passed away on March 15, 2014.
His obituary, which was published in the Reno Gazette-Journal from March 19 to March 21, 2014, is copied below. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, 3/22/14 to be held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Reno at 11:00 a.m.
Bob Horton graduated from the Mackay School of Mines in 1949 and worked at the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology from 1956 to 1967.
Bob Horton was a long-time friend of the Mackay School of Mines, now the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering. After his term as Director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, he returned to Reno and served the School as Associate Dean at a time when the School expanded into new facilities on the UNR campus. Bob was an honorary member of the Geological Society of Nevada and a frequent attendee at its monthly meetings in Reno. We have fond memories of his sharp wit and commitments to the State of Nevada.
“Robert C. Horton followed [Dr. S.E.] Jerome and became the second Associate Director of the Bureau; Horton, a 1949 graduate of the Mackay School of Mines, had joined the Bureau as a mining engineer in 1956. Horton was born in Tonopah and came from a Nevada mining family. His father had mined in Diamondfield and Goldfield and, in 1927, his older brother had made discoveries on the father’s claims southwest of Tonopah that resulted in one of Nevada’s last boom gold camps–Weepah. Horton served as Associate Director for only 2 years, leaving in 1967 to pursue private interests. In 1981, he was appointed Director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines by President Reagan and served in that capacity until 1987.”
This excerpt was taken from the chapter “Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology” by Joseph V. Tingley in The State Geological Surveys: A History, a project of the Association of American State Geologists, edited by Arthur A. Socolow.
A list of Bob Horton’s publications produced while at NBMG is copied below the obituary.
Robert Horton
Obituary
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Robert C. Horton
July 25, 1926 – Mar 15, 2014
Robert Carlton Horton together with his identical twin brother Richard Wingfield Horton was born July 25, 1926 to Eathel and Frank Horton in Tonopah, Nevada. He first attended McKinley Park Elementary School in Reno before moving to Unionville, Nevada where his father worked the Marigold mine/mill. He attended the still-standing one room schoolhouse in Unionville through the 8th grade, then moved to Winnemucca for high school. He graduated in 1944 from Humboldt Co. High School then moved back to Reno to attend the University of Nevada, graduating from the Mackay School of Mines in 1949 as a mining engineer. He also earned his Professional Engineering distinction and in 1985 Bob received Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from UNR.
Robert enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during the Korean War as an Air Intelligence Officer on the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier as Lieutenant.
In 1952 Bob married his high school sweetheart Beverly Burhans and raised three daughters, Debra, Robin and Cindy. Bob and Bev were married for 56 years until Beverly’s death in 2008.
After the Korean War, Bob worked for the Nevada Bureau of Mines at the University of Nevada for 10 years. Next he served as vice president of three related corporations responsible for exploration, drilling and production of petroleum in eastern Nevada. Then he worked for Meiser Enterprises, as chief of construction. Bob’s next venture was opening an office in Reno as the geologist for Bendix Field Engineering Corp., later moving to Grand Junction, Co. headquarters to serve as geology director of the entire Bendix Corporation. In 1981 Bob & Bev moved to Washington, D.C., as Bob had been nominated by President Reagan and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines/Dept. of the Interior. After the Reagan administration, Bob returned to Reno to work again for the Nevada Bureau of Mines as Associate Dean. His final professional contribution was serving as a consultant on the Board of Directors of FirstMiss Gold Inc. /Getchell Gold Corp. mines, until his retirement.
Robert is predeceased by his wife Beverly, parents, Eathel and Frank, as well as all of his siblings, Frank, Orville, Elizabeth and Richard Horton.
Surviving Robert are his three daughters: Dr. Debra Horton D.C., Robin Fitzpatrick & his adored son-in-law Ed, Cindy Meyer, grandson Bill Felices (Marissa) and great granddaughter Kaliah.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, 3/22/14 to be held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Reno at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, Bob’s request is that you practice random acts of kindness!
Published in Reno Gazette-Journal from Mar. 19 to Mar. 21, 2014
– See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rgj/obituary.aspx?n=robert-horton&pid=170238882#sthash.CUCNsas3.dpuf
NBMG Publications by Robert C. Horton
Horton, R.C., 1961, An inventory of fluorspar occurrences in Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Report 1, 31 p.
Horton, R.C., 1962, Iron ore occurrences in Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 5, 1:1,000,000.
Horton, R.C., 1963, An inventory of barite occurrences in Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Report 4, 18 p.
Horton, R.C., 1964, Coal, in Mineral and water resources of Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 65, p. 49-53.
Horton, R.C., 1964, Dimension stone, in Mineral and water resources of Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 65, p. 194-197.
Horton, R.C., 1964, Fluorspar, in Mineral and water resources of Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 65, p. 198-202.
Horton, R.C., 1964, Hot springs, sinter deposits, and volcanic cinder cones in Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 25.
Horton, R.C., 1964, Industrial minerals of Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines Map 27, 1:1,000,000.
Horton, R.C., 1964, Petroleum, in Mineral and water resources of Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 65, p. 54-57.
Horton, R.C., 1964, Sodium compounds, in Mineral and water resources of Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 65, p. 247-254.
Horton, R.C., Bonham, H.F., and Longwill, W.D., 1962, Copper occurrences in Nevada by district: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 13, 1:1,000,000.
Horton, R.C., Bonham, H.F., and Longwill, W.D., 1962, Lead occurrences in Nevada by district: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 14, 1:1,000,000.
Horton, R.C., Bonham, H.F., and Longwill, W.D., 1962, Zinc occurrences in Nevada by district: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 15, 1:1,000,000.
Tingley, J.V., Horton, R.C., and Lincoln, F.C., 1993, Outline of Nevada mining history: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication 15, 48 p.
Sincerely,
James E. Faulds, Ph.D. (Jim)
Director/State Geologist/Professor
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557
775-682-8751
and
Jonathan G. Price, Ph.D., CPG
State Geologist Emeritus
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
University of Nevada, Reno/Mail Stop 178
Reno, Nevada 89557-0088
E-MAIL: jprice@unr.edu