Walter Curlock passed away on October 3, 2014. The following two profiles are from the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame and Sudbury Living Magazine.
Walter Curlook is a man of vision who helped shape the world’s largest nickel producer. Throughout his lengthy career with Inco, he has been responsible for fostering new technologies and products, new working environments and a new era of government and public relations. Aptly described as “an industrial Renaissance man of the 20th century,” he has achieved distinction in mining, metallurgy, environmental protection, and research and development.
Born in 1929 in Coniston, Ontario, Curlook, at age 15, began part time work at Inco’s metallurgical plants in Sudbury. After graduating from Sudbury High School, he earned an undergraduate degree in science from the University of Toronto, followed by a graduate degree and his Ph.D.
At 25, Curlook joined Inco as a research metallurgist in Copper Cliff. With a keen interest in research and an understanding of the benefits of innovation, he earned rapid advancement. In 1989, he was elected a director of Inco and, in 1990, became President Commissioner of PT International Nickel Indonesia. He remains active, even in retirement, and is currently President of Goro Nickel, an Inco joint venture in the South Pacific.
Curlook’s technical achievements reflect his knack for converting theories and good ideas into practical applications. He has been granted 12 process patents and has two more pending.