This is the second of seven articles concerning the History of AGMC.

Joel Johnstone

Organization 

The Club’s first president was, by one account Oscar Branson, with Guy Shockley* not being elected until 1945. In 1947 the Constitution of The Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club indicated that the officers of the club shall be a President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer and a Corresponding Secretary. These officers were to serve for a period of one year, and, together with three members appointed by the President shall constitute the Executive Committee. The Annual Meeting was the last meeting in January of each year, at which time officers were elected for the following year. 

The voting and annual meeting was changed in 1960 to November because “the RMFMS wanted our listing of officers by the first of the year” and the board was willing to accommodate them. 

In 1964, to protect the members in those complex times the Executive Board incorporated the Club with the State of New Mexico as a non-profit institution. We are indebted to an Attorney-at-Law member, the late Byron Guse, who drew up and filed all incorporation papers at no cost to the club. 

Meetings 

Early meetings were held in the Administration Building at the University and in private homes, until attendance became so large that this was no longer feasible. Early in 1945, a room in the Public Service Building was used, through the generosity of Mr. Arthur Prager, President of the Public Service Company. 

By 1947 the Club met at “7:45 on the first and the third Wednesday evenings each month, usually in the Public Service Building (using the door near the rear of the building, on Fifth Street)”. Anyone with interests in common with the group was always welcome either as a visitor or a prospective member. The Club was also pleased to help in any way possible those who might be interested in organizing similar clubs in other places. 

Membership in the club remained at a 25 to 45 level until 1952 when, under a hard-working Executive Board and spurred on by the boom search for uranium, the membership experienced a phenomenal growth. In 1953, when the club was first privileged to hold its regular meetings in the new Geology Building Lecture room, this room seemed too large. By 1955, after experiencing “standing room only” attendance at its meetings, the club pondered what to do. It was literally bursting at the seams with 230 members and income barely matched expenditures. 

In February of 1960, the club voted to only have one meeting a month, beginning in March. It was set that the fourth Monday of each month would be the meeting date. 

Programs 

Through all of the years a regular schedule of programs have covered every conceivable subject of special interest to our hobby. During the nearly first four years of its existence, the club fully justified itself both from the standpoint of entertainment, and that of instruction, for some extremely interesting lecturers were heard, among them Dr. V. C. Kelley, Dr. Stuart Northrop, Dr. Reike, and Dr. Lincoln LaPaz, all of the University of New Mexico; Clare A. Dietrich of the Byrd Polar expeditions, William DoBell, on the cutting and dying of agate in Germany, KC. T. Griswold, on Barite deposits in Missouri, Alfred Dittert, on the Tonque Ruins, and Major Charles Zirweis, authority on ivory. 

Club members themselves have talked both from experience and from research, on the following subjects: Cryptocrystalline Minerals; the Cutting and Fashioning of Gemstones; Placer Mining; Halite; Turquoise; Opals; Reflection and Refraction in Gems; Radioactivity and Radioactive Minerals; Petrified Wood; Birthstones; and many other subjects. The late Roger H. Downer gave many interesting accounts of his experiences during the gold rush days in Nevada. 

Some of the demonstrations put on by various members and guests included blowpipe technique, sand casting and centrifugal casting of gem mountings, fluorescence of minerals under ultraviolet light and the use of binocular microscope, the last by E. D. Kipp, of the Public Service Company. 

Movies on subjects of special interest to the group have been shown from time to time, some of the U. S. Department of Mines films having been shown several times as new members expressed a desire to see them. Projectors and film were often borrowed or rented during the early months, and upon one occasion Mr. Segerstrom of the U. S. Geological Survey who was passing through Albuquerque showed some very fine color movies of the Paricutin volcano. Ray Allen and Louis Giannini were both generous enough to show movies for the club with their projection equipment. 

Outstanding, among the many social events held was the barbecued venison dinner held in the fall of 1946, at which half a deer and very elaborate trimmings magically disappeared. Most meetings are followed by very simple refreshments. 

*Some records indicate Guy Shockley was the first president. 

Part Three: Field Trips, State Fair & Gem Show 

First Published: AGMC News Nuggets Vol 63 #10 (October, 2016)