This
mini-biography of Dr. Valentine T. McGillycuddy, first to hold the title of
President of the South Dakota Mines, was authored by Mines alumnus Dr. Donn
Lobdell, (ME 58). It’s part of our High
Impact Hardrockers series looking at Mines alumni who have had an impact on
history.
Valentine T. McGillycuddy
was born on February 14th, 1849, in Racine, Wisconsin, to an Irish
immigrant couple who met on the ship, bringing them to the USA. In the
tradition of the Irish and the times, he was christened for the Patron Saint of
his birthdate. We know little of his early life other than he had education well
beyond the average of the time. He was to go on to become one of those larger-than-life
characters who seem to have been more places, known more people, and done more
things than most.
He attended
university and qualified as a physician at the age of 20. He worked for several
years as an attending physician at a municipal hospital in Detroit. His health
suffered, and doctors recommended that he find outdoor work to recover it.
He had taken
some engineering courses during his university training. He joined the Great Lakes District engineering
staff just in time to work on the rebuilding of Chicago following the great
fire. His work being of high order, he was given the opportunity to join the
Northern Boundary Survey (NBS). This was probably because he represented a
“double-dip....