Antoine Marc Gaudin made outstanding contributions to the mineral industry as a scientist, educator, and industrial and governmental consultant. He changed both the nature and direction of mineral processing by applying good science, skilled observations, and precise reasoning to mineral engineering problems. He had an insatiable curiosity about what was happening and why. This curiosity was highly contagious and was transmitted not only to Professor Gaudin’s students in the classroom, but also to students and professional engineers world-wide through three important books.
Antoine Gaudin was born in Turkey of French parents, received his basic education in France, and came to the United States in 1917 to enroll in Columbia University. After a short service in the U.S. Army during World War I, he returned to Columbia, where he received his E.M. degree. Following a three-year stint of engineering experience in industry, he accepted an appointment at Columbia as Lecturer under Professor A.F. Taggart. In 1926, he wrote a paper on comminution that is still a classic for anyone wishing to study mineral liberation by detachment.
This important work led to Dr. Gaudin’s engagement as Associate Professor at the University of Utah, where, in addition to classroom teaching, he conducted some highly original work on the fundamentals of flotation and flotation collectors. This work established the nature and importance of the xanthates in flotation of sulfides and base metal oxides and was the first definitive work on the role of pH in flotation.
By 1929, Dr. Gaudin was Research Professor of Ore Dressing at the Montana School of Mines. During the 1930s, he published Flotation (1932), began the nation’s most active Master of Science program, was a major consultant, found time to hone his undergraduate lectures, and produced the century’s outstanding mineral processing text, Principles of Mineral Dressing (1939). More than 50 years later, this terse book still contained most of the elements of the discipline.
In 1939, Dr. Gaudin accepted the Richards Professorship in Mineral Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His energetic pursuit of excellence continued as he initiated construction of new laboratory facilities, added new faculty, conducted an aggressive research program, assisted in the war effort, and produced the second edition of Flotation (1957).
Dr. Gaudin played an important role in the atomic raw materials industry during World War II by developing acid leach and ion exchange procedures to recover uranium from low grade ores. Also in support of World War II raw materials requirements, he did important work in developing flotation processes to recover tin from Bolivian ores.
Dr. Gaudin was one of the founding members of the National Academy of Engineering and received the Richards Award from AIME in 1957.
