James Richard May

James Richard May (born 20 July 1934) is a chemical engineer and company director who was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Australian Minerals Industry Research Association Ltd (AMIRA) between 1968 and 1992.
Early life and education
James (Jim) May was born in Adelaide in 1934 to Eric May and Ellen Miners during the Great Depression. He has two brothers; John and Lynton May.
His ancestors have a long standing history in the mining and metallurgy fields. The May family left Cornwall, England to search for opportunities in the new mines in the United States, South Africa and eventually, Australia.
Previously, the Mays had been mine managers in Cornwall and Southern Ireland, they eventually became managers in the Broken Hill Mines in the late 19th century. One notable family member is Richard Pope, in which he writes in his personal dairies (stored in the State Library of Victoria) about the journeys of the family from Cornwall to Australia between 1855 and 1896.
May was first educated at Adelaide High School where he boarded for a number of years before graduating in 1951. He then studied at the University of Adelaide where he completed his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and was lectured by Sir Douglas Mawson before he retired. After completing his bachelor degree, he studied for a Master of Chemical Technology at the University of New South Wales. From then on, all of his other degrees were honorary and bestowed upon him through his merit during his career. He had a close association with a number of universities in Australia and overseas including the University of Queensland and the University of South Australia.
Career
May began his career as a member of staff at South Mine Broken Hill. In 1958, he moved to the Australian Atomic Energy Commission for ten years. He worked closely with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States. In 1967, he was appointed Head of the Chemical Engineering Section of the Commission but left in 1968 to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Minerals Industry Research Association Ltd (AMIRA). This organisation became an advisory group for governments around the world that endeavoured to research into developing and managing new technologies and mitigation strategies.
In 1952, May joined AusIMM and served on many AusIMM committees. For his efforts, AusIMM awarded him several awards after he retired in 1992.
In this time, May has been a board member of multiple Cooperative Research Centres including the Centre for Mining Technology and Equipment. He has also been Director of the Australian Minerals and Energy Environment Foundation. He has worked in an advisory committee for many university departments and several divisions of the CSIRO. He also had an important role in the success of the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC). May has also been a member of the Australian Research Council as a committee member that reviewed several programs in 1991.
Honours and awards
* 1992 The Institute Medal of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
* 1992 The Australian Museum Prize for Industry
* 1993 Honorary Doctorate of the University of South Australia (HonDUniv)
* 1994 Honourary Doctorate of the University of Queensland (HonDUniv)
* 2001 Centenary Medal
* 2016 The Australian Prospectors and Mining Hall of Fame Award
* 2021 Honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (HonFAusIMM)

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