Daniel C. Jackling

Daniel Cowan Jackling
Daniel Cowan Jackling
Born	Template:Birth date; Near Appleton City, Missouri, U.S.
Died	March 13, 1956 (aged 86)
Occupation(s)	Mining engineer, metallurgist, businessman
Known for	Development of low-grade porphyry copper deposits at Bingham Canyon Mine; founder of Utah Copper Company

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Daniel C. Jackling, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Daniel Cowan Jackling (August 14, 1869 – March 13, 1956) was a prominent American engineer specializing in mining and metallurgy, known for his groundbreaking work in utilizing low-grade porphyry copper deposits at Utah's Bingham Canyon Mine.

Early life

Jackling was born near Appleton City, Missouri and lost his parents at the age of two, subsequently being raised by family members. By the time he was sixteen, he had completed eighth grade and enrolled at the Normal School in Warrensburg, Missouri. Beginning in 1889, he pursued studies in mining and metallurgy at the Missouri School of Mines (currently Missouri University of Science and Technology), where he earned a BS degree and served as an assistant professor in chemistry and metallurgy from 1891 to 1893.

Career

His professional journey started at the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine between 1893 and 1895, where he progressed from miner to metallurgist. In 1896, Jackling collaborated with Joseph Raphael De Lamar in Mercur, Utah, focusing on developing a cyanide extraction technique for gold. After obtaining a metallurgical engineering degree in 1900, he managed operations involving zinc pigments and gold milling in Colorado.

During the mid-1890s, Jackling partnered with Hartwig Cohen and Robert C. Gemmell to assess the copper deposits at Bingham Canyon, Utah. On June 4, 1903, he established the Utah Copper Company, enlisting investors such as Charles L. Tutt, Sr., Spencer Penrose, among others, and took on the role of general manager. In 1904, he championed the use of open pit mining methods combined with steam shovel technology to load ore onto railcars. This strategy proved economically successful and positioned Bingham Canyon as a premier site for extracting low-grade copper ores. By 1912, it had evolved into one of the largest industrial mining complexes worldwide when combined with adjacent smelting facilities.

Jackling further expanded his mining ventures by developing the Veteran Mine near Ruth, Nevada, ultimately serving as president of Nevada Consolidated Copper Corporation. He was instrumental in Utah Copper's mergers with Ray Consolidated Copper Mines in Arizona and Chino Copper Company in New Mexico. In 1912, Jackling assumed the presidency of Utah Power and Light Company and founded Alaska Gold Mines Company to operate the Alaska-Gastineau Mine, which was then recognized as the largest gold mine globally.

Acknowledged for his leadership in large-scale mining and processing of low-grade copper ores, Jackling earned several accolades including the Washington Award from the Western Society of Engineers. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson honored him with the Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army) for his management of U.S. government explosives production during World War I.

His collection of professional documents is preserved at Stanford University Library.

Family

Jackling’s first wife, who worked as a schoolteacher, passed away in 1914. He remarried Virginia Jolliffe on April 5, 1915; however, some records from Stanford University Libraries suggest the marriage may have occurred in 1919.

Awards and recognition

The Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) created the Daniel C. Jackling Award in 1953 to acknowledge outstanding technical achievements in mining, geology, and geophysics.

In 1954, a statue commemorating Jackling was placed inside the rotunda of the Utah State Capitol.

The outdoor football stadium at his alma mater—now known as Missouri University of Science and Technology—was named Jackling Field from 1967 until 2000; however, the playing field continues to carry his name. An earlier stadium bearing his name hosted games from 1915 through 1966 and was partially funded by his $5,000 donation.

The Jackling House

The Jackling House, an iconic Spanish Colonial Revival residence located in Woodside, California, was crafted by architect George Washington Smith in 1925 for Jackling and his family.

In 1984, Steve Jobs acquired this 17,000-square-foot estate and resided there for a decade before opting to lease it. By 2000, Jobs discontinued upkeep and later applied for permits to demolish the historic structure to replace it with a more modest dwelling. Following a series of legal disputes—including a rejected appeal by the California Supreme Court in 2007—Jobs obtained authorization from the Woodside Town Council to proceed with demolition in May 2009.

Preservation advocates challenged this ruling in April 2010, resulting in an automatic suspension of demolition permits while relocation possibilities were investigated. Despite ongoing resistance, the mansion was ultimately torn down in February 2011.

External links