Our History

Use the resources found on this page to explore the history of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, from its founding as part of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers in 1871 to the present day.

TMS Historical Timeline

Historical JOM Articles

"Celebrating Our Common Legacy: 150 Years of AIME and TMS"
March 2021
Learn about the origins of AIME and the shared history between the Institute and TMS.

"Celebrating Over Five Decades of Technical Excellence in Light Metals Research"
March 2021
TMS Aluminum Committee Chair Alan Tomsett looks back at the seminal Light Metals proceedings, first published in 1971.

"Digging Deep Into the History of the Extraction & Processing Division"
May 2021
Learn about the history of TMS’s Extraction & Processing Division.

"What’s in a (Division) Name: A Look Back at the Functional Materials Division"
July 2021
Explore the history of TMS’s Functional Materials Division.

"Shaping a Community: The Impact of the Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division"
November 2021
The story behind TMS’s Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division.

"Showcasing the Strength of the Industry with the Light Metals Division"
December 2021
A look into the TMS Light Metals Division.

"Our Greatest Tradition: Gathering Together at the Annual Meeting"
January 2022
Reflections on the event that brings the TMS community together year after year.

"A Member-Driven Society: Celebrating the TMS Experience"
March 2022
How TMS, as a volunteer-driven society, has been shaped by its membership..

Interested in exploring history through old JOM articles? TMS members can access the full contents of the JOM Archive for free.

AIME Oral Histories

The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) has captured interviews with prominent figures from its four member societies as part of the AIME Oral Histories program. This collection includes interviews with respected TMS members, such as:

Diran Apelian

"Metallurgy, and Transformation of Modern Research Universities, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Christopher W. Bale

"The 50 Year Journey Creating FactSage, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Harry Bhadeshia

"An Awe-Inspiring Steel Innovator, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Rodney R. (Rod) Boyer

"The Ti Guy"

Raymond Decker

"A Life Full of Serendipity and Discovery"

Merton C. Flemings

"A Leader of Materials Science Movement at MIT"

Carolyn Hansson

"Of Mini Skirts & Metallurgy; Forging a Career in a Male-dominated Field, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Peter C. Hayes

"How a Meeting at the Pig and Whistle Influenced My Life, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Siegfried S. Hecker

"My Grandfather Saves the World, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Stanley Howard

"The Human Perpetual Mind, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Alex King

"The Critical Materials Institute, Challenges and Opportunities, Part 1", "Part 2" and "Part 3"

Enrique J. Lavernia

"The Super Dean with a Passion for Research, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Peter Liaw

"Success in Academia Through Devotion and Dedication"

Thaddeus "Ted" Massalski

"The Development of Theoretical and Experimental Metallurgy after World War II, Part 1" and Part 2"

Harold W. Paxton

"Steelmaking Research at Carnegie Mellon – 50 Some Years of Fun"

Arthur D. Pelton

"The 50 Year Journey Creating FactSage, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Lee Semiatin

"Becoming a Journeyman Metallurgist, Part 1" and "Part 2".

Donald Sadoway

"Pursuing Service with a Passion to Change the World"

Alex Scott

"In Service to TMS, The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society, 1970s to 2000s, Part 1" and "Part 2"

Robert D. Shull

"Cutting-Edge Research and Expanding Educational Outreach, Part 1", "Part 2" and "Part 3"

Ray Smith

"The Life of a Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineer: Dedicated to Education"

Patrick Taylor

"Challenges and Opportunities of a Metallurgical Professor"

View the AIME Oral Histories web page to view additional interviews and transcripts.

AIME-TMS Anniversary Keynote Presentations

In honor of the 150th anniversary of TMS and the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME), TMS has made a series of recorded talks available from the TMS 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting & Exhibition (TMS2021 Virtual), held March 15–18, 2021. Selected by the five TMS technical divisions as Anniversary Keynotes, these talks can now be viewed by all web users at no charge. Access the full presentations here.

AIME Digital Library

Want to dig deeper into our profession’s history? TMS members have full access to the AIME Digital Library, which contains more than 550 technical documents from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, including the journal AIME Transactions. Log in for full access to this resource.

AIME 150th Anniversary