There was a Phelps, a Dodge … and a Douglas

Letter to the Editor

In the June 30-July 6/06 issue of The Northern Miner, a brief background on the history of Phelps Dodge was provided in conjunction with other articles on the ongoing takeover battles in the Canadian mining sector. Omitted from the Phelps Dodge history was the key role played by a Canadian in the conversion of the company from a trader of metals to a producer of metals.

James Douglas was born in Quebec in 1837 as the first son of James Douglas, Sr., a well known doctor. He attended Edinburgh University for two years to study medicine and theology and graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., with a bachelor of arts in 1858. He returned to Scotland, where he became a licentiate of the Church of Scotland, but his father’s illness back home diverted him from the ministry.

While filling the post of superintendent at the Beauport Lunatic Asylum, founded by his father, he continued his studies at Laval University. From 1871-1874, he worked as professor of chemistry at Morrin College in Quebec City, then affiliated with Montreal’s McGill University.

He also became involved in his father’s passion for investing in mining operations. As these investments began to lose money, he decided to take action. Together with T. Sterry Hunt from Laval University, he developed the Hunt-Douglas process for the wet extraction of copper using electrolysis. In 1875, he was hired by the Chemical Copper Co. in Pennsylvania, where he worked to perfect new copper refining techniques.

After the demise of this company, he took his expertise and vision to Phelps, Dodge & Co. in New York, which in 1881 on his recommendation, began its foray into copper production at the Copper Queen mine near Bisbee, Ariz.

James Douglas became the first president of Phelps Dodge Corp. and completed its conversion from an import/export company to a major copper miner. Douglas was president of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers in 1899-1900 and received many honours, among them an honorary doctor of law degree from McGill.

He returned to Canada in 1915 to become the Chancellor of Queen’s University where he used his personal fortune to keep the university afloat during the lean years of the First World War. He concurrently served on the board of governors of McGill, which also benefited greatly from his philanthropy. He died in 1918 in New York City.

Michael Doggett and Herb Helmstaedt

Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

Queen’s University

Kingston, Ont.