Jay A. Carpenter Fund

Jay A. Carpenter was the Director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and Director of the Mackay School of Mines at the University of Nevada from 1939 until his retirement in 1951. He was a 1907 graduate of the Mackay School of Mines, and he worked in the mining industry in Tonopah, Belmont, and other Nevada camps before returning to the University as professor of mining in 1926. In 1929, his Nevada Bureau of Mines Bulletin on Mineral Resources of Southern Nevada helped in Nevada's fight for an allocation of power from Hoover Dam. In 1954, he was elected as an Honorary Member of the Association of American State Geologists.

On June 14, 2002, Mrs. Ann Burgess established the Jay A. Carpenter Fund through the University of Nevada, Reno Foundation in honor of her grandfather. The fund consists of two parts, an expendable fund and an endowment, the interest of which is used to support the function of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Information Office.

The expendable fund is being used to purchase a wide-map scanner that allows us to digitize one-of-a-kind maps of historical mines and other features in Nevada, geologic maps, and other large-format charts and maps. In recent years, the cost of digital storage has dropped to the point that we can now begin to offer digital copies of the files in our Information Office for free on line and at nominal charges for digital copies on discs. A large capital expenditure, for the map scanner, has been necessary, however, for us to capture the data for storage. For decades, including the tenure of Jay A. Carpenter as Director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines, our Information Office has accumulated paper copies of maps and reports on the geology and mines of Nevada, and users (historical researchers, exploration and mine geologists, engineers, students, and the general public) have had to come to the office to view the materials. Now we can offer these items for viewing over the World Wide Web, for free and from anywhere, truly a tremendous enhancement of the service we provide to the public. Necessary paper copies can now be made without damaging the originals, which can be stored appropriately in long-term archives.

The endowment also helps to further the educational commitment that Jay A. Carpenter had as Director of the Mackay School of Mines. We will use much of the interest on the endowment to underwrite the cost of hiring undergraduate students (generally ones with interests in Nevada, mining, and geology) to work in the Information Office. Such support of students not only helps them pay for college, but it also gives them some practical experience working with people and handling technical information.

Individuals interested in donating to the Jay A. Carpenter Fund are encouraged to discuss their donation with Jonathan G. Price, Director and State Geologist.

Mailing Address

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
University of Nevada, Reno/178
Reno, Nevada 89557-178

Telephone: 775-784-6691 extension 126
Fax: 775-784-1709
E-mail: jprice@unr.edu

Donations can be made by check to "University of Nevada, Reno Foundation" and marked for the "Jay A. Carpenter Fund."

Thank you for your generous contribution!

Also see article about Jay A. Carpenter Fund in the University magazine, Nevada Silver and Blue >>