Richard Joseph Ennis died in Canada on 5th October, 1951, at the age of 70.
Mr. Ennis began his mining career working underground at Smuggler Mining Co., Ltd., Aspin, Colorado, in 1897, and from 1901 worked a concentrator for that company for three years. In 1905 he was engaged on cyanide and chlorination plants for Woods Investment Co., Ltd., at Cripple Creek, Colorado, but returned to Smuggler Mining Co., Ltd., as mill superintendent in 1906. He left in 1911 to take a similar position at McIntyre Porcupine Mines, Ltd., at Schumacher, Ontario, remaining with that company for 39 years until his retirement in March, 1951. He was made assistant manager in 1913 and general manager later that year, and from 1941 also held the office of Vice-President of the company.
Mr. Ennis was consulting engineer to the Temiskaming Mining Co. for the period 1918-21, and to Castle Trethewey Mines, Ltd., from 1923 to 1930; to Omega Gold Mines, Ltd., from 1934; and to Belleterre Quebec Mines, Ltd., from 1935.
Mr. Ennis was elected to Membership of the Institution in 1941. He was President of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy for the year 1946-1947, and was in 1948 awarded the Inco Medal of that body ‘for meritorious and effective contributions to the mining and metallurgical industries of Canada’. He actively encouraged safety and welfare in mining, particularly research in silicosis prevention and the development of aluminium therapy, and he was instrumental in the establishment of the McIntyre Research Foundation.
Vol. 62, Trans IMM 1952-53, p.79
