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S.H."Sam" Glassmire died on November 26, 2002 from complications from a blood clot. He grew up in Ruidoso and Carrizozo, Lincoln Co., NM where his grandfather was a pioneer settler, rancher, gambler, and mountain man frontiersman before NM became a state. He attended high school in Lawrence, KS where he was class vice president and starred in track, baseball and debating. He graduated with honors from the University of Kansas in Geology and Mining engineering. Sam was a member of Sigma Gamma Epsilon, National Honorary Scholastic Fraternity and was top on the Dean's Honor Roll for two years. He entered the University on a Naismith Athletic Scholarship in baseball and track. His track career was cut short in his freshman year by permanently damaging an ankle in the featured Glen Cunningham Mile Run at the Kansas Relays. He was a starting baseball pitcher for Kansas but strained a shoulder pitching for the Big"8" Championship against Nebraska, also in his freshman year. He then took up fencing as a sport, won three silver medals at the National Sportsmen Exposition and made the U.S. Olympic fencing team. Sam was an officer in the U.S.N.R. in World War II and was discharged as a Lt. Commander. His first major assignment was as Security Officer and Director of the U.S.M.S. Shore Patrol of the 9th Naval District. As head of the Shore Patrol, he was cited for successfully controlling alcohol and drug abuse among the servicemen. Later in the war, he was 2nd Engineer aboard troop and hospital ships in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters. At the end of WWII, Sam came to the Los Alamos National Laboratory as a staff member of the University of California. He was a project Engineer and was credited with Purifying the air in the Los Alamos Atomic Labs via proper ventilation and filtration. In the mid 1950s, Los Alamos was essentially an atomic weapons manufacturing plant. Becoming disenchanted with the production of destructive items, Sam moved to Santa Fe and hung up his shingle as a consulting engineer. He was appointed by Gov. John Simms as a consultant to the NM Development Commission to develop NM's mineral industry. He authored a state publication on mica of NM and designed two mica mills at Pojoaque and Pataca, NM. He was a Geologist for the late Stella Dysart and Louis Lothmann and caused the first exploratory hole to be drilled in the Grants, NM Ambrosia Lake area. Hole"Dysart #1" hit uranium and the world's largest uranium deposit was discovered. Most of Sam's consulting work carried him to Central and South America where he became internationally known as a scientific explorer of virgin jungles. He authored a booklet published and circulated world wide by the"Mining Journal" of London, England on the"Mineral Deposits of Central America". His scientific endeavors led him deep into the Mosquito Jungles of Honduras and the Darien Gap between Panama and Columbia, South America. While on an expedition for gold in Honduras, Sam discovered the legendary"Lost City". Artifacts returned to the States proved the ancient civilization to be Maya and the then known limit of Mayan Empire was extended 200 miles south and east than was previously known to exist. He was the personal geologist for the world famed balloonist, Maxie Anderson. For Anderson, Sam discovered and explored the Blue Bird Mine in Arizona. This mine became a major copper producer, under the management of Rancher's Exploration of Albuquerque. With an aid grant from the U.S. State Department, Sam studied 11 Latin American Countries to determine the feasibility of establishing a scientific testing laboratory sponsored by U.S. A.I.D. and the U.N. He was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to the Sea Level Canal Commission to investigate supplementation of the antiquated Panama Canal. Sam had previously recommended a sea level canal along the Rio Atrato in Columbia, South America and suggested atomic blasting to implement its construction, this created a diplomatic controversy with Panama and with certain environmentalist groups opposed to atomic energy. In the late 1970s, Sam contracted with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Los Alamos National Laboratory to take geological mineral samples in connection with a nation wide mineral reconnaissance. Sam ended up sampling, by helicopters, most of Alaska and a large part of the Rocky Mountain states. This was the largest sampling program on the earth's crust ever conducted. Lately Sam was working on his book"The Bush" which is all about his travels looking for gold in Central America. He was hoping to give copies of the book to friends and family this Christmas. His family will pass out copies of the book at a party celebrating Sam's life in the spring of 2003. Sam's beloved wife of 52 years died several years ago. Sam is survived by his daughter, Bonnie Brody Stewart; son, Marc Glassmire; daughter-in-law, Tavie Glassmire; son-in-law, Doug Stewart; grandchildren, Mitzi Lancaster, Niki Glassmire, Lauren Brody Stewart, Jason Brody Stewart, Dana Stewart and newest member of the family, Mitzi's husband, Joe Lancaster. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Elks Lodge, BPOE 2083, 1601 Trinity Dr. Los Alamos, NM. 87544.
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