1942 President Harold Bruce Schminky

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Harold Bruce Schminky was born in Woodbury, New Jersey, February 18, 1897, the son of Harry Newton and Alice Sidney Schminky, both of whom were born in Gratz, Pennsylvania, His parents moved to Reading, Pennsylvania, and from there came to Portland in 1905 to see the Lewis and Clark Fair.  In 1909 they visited Seattle for the Alaska, Yukon and Pacific Exposition. By this time the lure of the West had become too strong to resist, and after looking around in both Seattle and Tacoma for a suitable business location, they came to Portland, and remained in Oregon from then on.

H. BRUCE SCHMINKY (Charter Member)

Bruce attended grammar school in Pennsylvania, California, Colorado, Washington and Oregon, graduating at Sandy, Oregon, in June 1912. He spent his first year of high school at Sandy and completed the last three years at Washington High school in Portland, from which he was graduated with the class of June 1916.  He entered Oregon State College, where he majored in Highway Engineering, and received his degree of Bachelor of Science in June 1920.

The summer after graduation he began work with the late John H. Lewis, consulting engineer, and former State Engineer, on a proposed irrigation project on the John Day River.  This work took him over much of the northeastern corner of Oregon, besides most of the John Day canyon.  It was then that he came to love the rugged beauty of the eastern part of our state, but at that time he was not aware of the fossils and minerals to be found there.

In February 1922 he entered the employ of the Department of Public Works of the City of Portland, where he still works.

On December 23, 1922, he married Ruth Adelia Brown, a graduate of the Oregon College of Education at Monmouth. They have two daughters, Carol Ann and Alice May.

The Schminkys are charter members of the Oregon Agate and Mineral Society, and became charter members of the Geological Society of the Oregon Country at the organization meeting held in Lincoln High School on April 18, 1935.  They are Republicans and Presbyterians.

Mr. Schminky has held the following positions in the Society:

  • 1935 Member of the Exploration (trip) Committee; on August 8, 1935, was appointed trip chairman by the Executive Board, following the resignation of Harry Clark, the first chairman.

  • 1937Curator of Maps; member of Exploration Committee.

  • 1938Chairman of Publicity Committee; Chairman of Wallowa Summer Camp Committee; member of Research Committee; Associate Editor of News Letter.

  • 1939Vice-president; Chairman of Coos Bay Summer Camp Committee; Associate Editor of News Letter.

  • 1940 Chairman of Trip Committee; Associate Editor of News Letter.

  • 1941 Member of Annual Banquet Committee; Associate Editor of News Letter.

  • 1942President;  Associate Editor of News Letter.

  • 1943 Director: Chairman of Publicity Committee; Associate Editor of News Letter.

  • 1944 Director; Chairman of Trip Committee; Chairman of Annual Banquet Committee; Associate Editor of News Letter.

  • 1945 Associate Editor of News Letter; Chairman of Trip Committee.

  • 1946 Elected to Fellow in the Society; member of Annual Banquet Committee.

  • 1947 Chairman annual Banquet Committee; Associate Editor of News Letter.

  • 1948 Associate Editor of News-Letter; member of Annual Banquet Committee.

  • 1949 Chairman Nominating Committee; Associate Editor of News Letter; member of Annual Banquet Committee.