IMA History

The IMA was founded in 1958 after proposals and discussions amongst leading mineralogists over several preceding years. On this page is a summary of those developments along with copies of some of the original documents and letters.  

April 1958: Photograph of participants to the first IMA meeting, in Madrid.

Foundation of IMA

Summer, 1956The British Mineralogical Society sent letters to various countries to create an international organization: see the memorandum.
Nov 1, 1956Decision during the meeting of the Mineralogical Society of America to create a committee to investigate the possibility of forming an International Union of Mineralogy.
Dec 18, 1956Letter of M.L. Burger to 8 mineralogists to form a committee to consider the possibility of forming an International Union of Mineralogy (Letter_1)
Jan 1957Answer of C. Guillemin to M.L. Burger (Letter_2)
Feb 8, 1957Memorandum by N.F.M. Henry sent to M.L. Burger and to 3 corresponding members on the Committee on the type of international organization, with a copy to C. Guillemin. (Letter_3)
Feb 25, 1957Guillemin’s opinion on the Henry’s Memorandum sent to M.L. Burger (Letter_4)
Feb 26, 1957Guillemin’s answer to N.M.F. Henry. (Letter_5)
Mar 8, 1957M.J. Buerger’s letter to the “Committee to Investigate the Possibility of Establishing an International Union of Mineralogy”. M.J. Buerger proposed to create “The International Mineralogical Association” (IMA) instead of a Union, and to organize an informal meeting to discuss general matters concerned with the IMA, during the Congress of the International Union of Crystallography in Montreal on July 10th. (Letter_6). The Buerger document also contains a summary of the responses to his previous letter of December 1956.
Mar 16, 1957N.F.M. Henry answered to Guillemin letter (February 26th, 1957) (Letter_7)
Apr 4, 1957C. Guillemin’s letter to M.J Buerger on the creation of the IMA, and his absence at the Montreal meeting. (Letter_8)
Apr 10, 1957Request by M.J Buerger to name a French delegate to attend the Montreal Congress. (Letter_9)
Apr 15, 1957Guillemin’s letter following a meeting of the French Society of Mineralogy, in favor of the creation of the IMA, and designating Wyart to go to Montreal. (Letter_10)
Apr 18, 1957Proposal from M.J. Buerger to elect a constitutional Committee during the Montreal Congress, which could work for the establishment of the eventual International Mineralogical Association (Letter_11)
May 10, 1957Letter of N.F.M. Henry to C. Guillemin that includes a memorandum that Henry had sent to Buerger concerning the activities of the proposed IMA (Letter_12).
Jul 16, 1957Minutes of the Montreal meeting prepared by A. Pabst (secretary pro tem). (Letter_13).
A (provisional) International Mineralogical Association was set up whose members are individual mineralogical societies.
IMA interim officers were elected by the delegates to draft a constitution:
Chairman: G.F. Claringbull
Vice-chairman: F. Laves
Councilors: L.G. Berry, C. Guillemin, M. Fornaseri, F. Wickman, Grigoriev, M.J. Buerger.
It was proposed that the IMA should include commissions on
(1) New species
(2) Preservation and accessibility of type material
(3) Nomenclature
(4) Abstracts
(5) The continued publication and revision of the System of Mineralogy
(6) Museum
There was the need for a program committee, a committee on excursions and a committee on committees. The first formal meeting of the IMA would be held in Madrid, April 1958. Delegates would vote on the constitution.
Oct 2, 1957Report of the “Committee to Investigate the Possibility of Establishing an International Union of Mineralogy” to the Mineralogical Society of America. This report sums up the development of the committee designed to work for the creation of IMA (Letter_14)
Feb 8, 1958Henry’s letter to C. Guillemin asking the latter if he was willing to be nominated as the Secretary of a Committee on Nomenclature of New Minerals (Letter_15)
Feb 11, 1958C. Guillemin’s answer to Henry (Letter_16)
Feb 14, 1958Henry’s letter to C. Guillemin informing him about the development of the organization to prepare the Madrid Meeting (Letter_17)
Feb 17, 1958C. Guillemin’s answer to Henry. Wyart is named as the delegate of the French Society of Mineralogy for the Madrid meeting (Letter_18)
Mar 12, 1958Henry’s letter to C. Guillemin informing him about his arrival in Paris on the 28th of March. (Letter_19).
Mar 14, 1958C. Guillemin’s letter to Claringbull to prepare for the Madrid meeting, and proposing that IMA participates in both Crystallography and Geological meetings. (Letter_20).
Apr 3, 1958Claringbull’s answer to Guillemin, mainly on commissions (Letter_21).
Beginning of Apr 1958Proposal for the conduct of business in Madrid (Letter_23).
Apr 1958Draft statutes and first By-Laws of the International Mineralogical Association. (Letter_24).
May 21, 1958M. Fleisher answers to R.L. Parker, accepting to become the first chairman of the commission for New Minerals, and asking questions on how problems on nomenclature should be treated (Letter_25).
Aug 6, 1958R.L. Parker’s letter to C. Guillemin with the report on the Foundation of the International Mineralogical Association and the Statutes and By-Laws of the IMA. (Letter_26).
Oct 3, 1958C. Guillemin’s letter to M. Fleischer on the duties of the Commission on new minerals and nomenclature (Letter_27).
1966List of Chairmen and Secretaries of Commissions (Letter_22).