Colorado School of Mines, 1949
Hometown: San Rafael, CA
Inducted November 2010
Mr. Hugh Evans graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1949 with an Engineer of Mines degree. Prior to his schooling, Mr. Evans served from Private to T/Sgt. with the 10th Mountain Division, training in Camp Hale, CO and Camp Swift, TX before the Division entered the Italian Campaign near the end of World War II. Mr. Evans received the Combat Infantry Badge, the Silver Star for actions during the battle for Mount Gorgolesco, a Purple Heart for wounds he suffered near Castel D’ Aiano, and post combat, the Bronze Star. In 1949 Mr. Evans was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Reserves. In 1951, during the Korean War, he was recalled to active duty to be Chief of Reproduction and Publications for the Army Language School in Monterey, CA. Later, as a First Lieutenant, he served as the Assistant Director of Academic Training.
Over the course of 48 years, Mr. Evans emerged as a global, mining industry leader. His career began in the gold mines of California followed by Kennecott Copper at Bingham Canyon, UT. From 1955 to 1956 he worked for Pacific Uranium Mines in Salt Lake City, UT, contributing to the discovery of a major uranium deposit and the development of a large mine near Ambrosia Lake in New Mexico. Beginning in late 1956 through 1973, Mr. Evans served as Development Manager for Utah International in the Philippines; Chief Engineer for the development of the Navajo Mine in Farmington, NM; and the Mine Superintendent and Manager for the development and operation of Blackwater Mine in Queensland, Australia. In 1970, he returned to Utah’s main office in San Francisco, CA to form and direct the Mineral Marketing Department. From 1974 to 1979, Mr. Evans was responsible for developing mines in Wyoming and Colorado as Vice President of Coal Operations for the Atlantic Richfield Company. Mr. Evans later served as President of Old Ben Coal Company out of Chicago, IL and then President of Enoxy Coal, a Cincinnati, OH company he helped form to manage four, joint venture mines from the Island Creek Coal Company and Italsider, an Italian company. Later he became President of the Union Terminal Association, spearheading efforts to complete a 60 million dollar renovation of the historic Cincinnati Union Terminal for the community’s Natural History and Historic Society. From 1990 to 1998, Mr. Evans acted as an international operations consultant in locales including Hungary, Jamaica, and Russia.
Beginning in 2001, Mr. Evans served as an eight-year member of the Colorado School of Mines Board of Directors and currently serves as Chair of the CSM Research Institute. He was made Honorary Colonel of the CSM 115 Engineering Regiment in 2000. In addition, from 1986 to 1982, he was the President and then Chairman of the National Association of the 10th Mountain Division, a society that preserves the World War II legacy, achievements, and memories of the Division. Today, Mr. Evans is the chief organizer of the 35-year old, annual 10th Mountain Division Ski-In and the 10-year old, Veterans’ annual climb to a 10th Mountain Division Hut. For the last four years, he has generously invited Golden Buffalo Battalion Cadets to join the Veterans on an annual hut trip.
Mr. Hugh Evans lives in Boulder, CO and is married to the former Ann Gullberg from Moline, IL. They have four children, eleven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.