Campus Tour

Front Facing

Dr. Melville F. Coolbaugh was a Research Chemist who originally served CSM as Head of the Chemistry Department from 1917 to 1918.

When the Board of Trustees declared the presidency open after September 1, 1925, the educational and engineering worlds were thoroughly combed for a successor to President Alderson.

The Board felt that Melville Fuller Coolbaugh was nearer the ideal School of Mines Head than any of the Easterners because it would have been difficult for an outsider to succeed Dr. Alderson, who had accomplished so much for the School.

Coolbaugh.jpg (10385 bytes) Coolbaugh, a Research Chemist for the Metals Exploration Company, with offices in Denver and San Francisco, accepted the presidency of CSM when Dr. Alderson’s contract expired.

Professor Coolbaugh was well known to Colorado School of Mines, as he was a Golden resident, a prominent metallurgical engineer, and already held a position in the Chemistry Department at the Colorado School of Mines.

Although he was born in Pennsylvania, Mr. Coolbaugh was essentially a Western man, having received his bachelor of science degree at Colorado College.

His graduate work was done at Columbia, New York, where he received his master's degree in Chemistry.

Before going to Columbia he was instructor in chemistry at his Alma Mater for two years and after graduating at Columbia was assistant in chemistry at that institution.

His teaching experience has been largely at technical schools, having held the chair of chemistry at South Dakota School of Mines, an assistant professorship in chemistry at the Case School of Applied Science, and head of the Chemistry Department at the Colorado School of Mines.

Coolbaugh Hall was built with approximately $1,000,000 in State funds and was completed in 1952. On May 4, 1953, the building was dedicated and named in honor of Melville Fuller Coolbaugh, who was President of CSM from 1925 to 1946 and who held the title of President emeritus from 1946 until his death in 1950.