MC 23
John F. McMahon
Dean, New York State College of Ceramics
Box 1-3
Acquisition: Mrs. Mae McMahon Processed: Elizabeth Gulacsy, 1988
Box 4-8b
Acquisition: NYSCC
Processed: Elizabeth Gulacsy, 1988 Updated: Laura Habecker, 2020-01
The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Scholes Library
John Francis McMahon
(1900-1987)
Born: October 1, 1900, Cohoes, New York Died: April 11, 1987, Alfred, New York
Married: Mary Gertrude (Mae) Louprette. February 1928
Children: Richard M. (Michael) (m. Carol, ch: Colleen, Sharon, Kerrie, Kelly), William B. (Bill) (m. Isabelle, ch: Cheryl) and John Francis Jr. (Jack) (m. Regina, ch: Patrick, Brian, Kathy, Terry, Garry, Chris, Jean) Children
graduated who from AU:
Richard M. (’64), William (’52), John Francis Jr. (’51)
Parents: John and Ellen Flatley McMahon Education:
1923 New York State College of Ceramics, B.Sc.
1940-1941 Columbia University (graduate work)
1942 New York State College of Ceramics (graduate work) Works:
1923-1924 Shop foreman, NYS School of Clay-working and Ceramics 1924 Lecturer, NYS School of Clay-working and Ceramics
1924-1925 Ceramic Engineer, Queens Run Refractories, Lockhaven, PA 1925-1936 Ceramic Engineer, Canadian Department of Mines, Ottawa,
Canada
1936-1944 Assistant Professor of Research, NYS College of Ceramics 1944-1947 Professor, Ceramic Research, NYS College of Ceramic 1947-1948 Acting Head, Department of Ceramic Research
1948-49 Acting Dean, NYS College of Ceramics 1949- Dean, NYS College of Ceramics
Societies:
American Ceramic Society, Fellow
Past Chairman Structural Clay Products Division, Research Committee, Materials and Equipment Division
President 1957-1958
Canadian Ceramic Society, Honorary Member
American Association for Advancement of Science, Fellow N.Y. Society of Professional Engineers, Fellow
Ceramic Association of New York
Association of Engineering College of New York State President 1962-1964
British Ceramic Society
New York Society professional Engineers President
Institute of Ceramic Engineers, Chairman educational Committee Institute of Metals
Awards
1957 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Engineering Degree, Clemson College
1963 Institute Achievement Award: Technical Society Council of the Niagara Frontier
John Henry Cardinal Newman Honorary Society Award
1965 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science, Alfred University. (October 7, Charter Day)
Toledo Glass and Ceramic Award
The John F. McMahon Professor of Ceramic Engineering
1987 - 1991 Dr. Richard M. Spriggs 1997 - 2008 Dr. James E. Shelby 2009 - Dr. William Carty
McMahon Achievement Award*
1991 Christopher T.
Pilko 2001 Sean T.
Anderson 2011 Bradley Willis1 1992 Jennifer Aurand 2002 Jeffrey Miller
1993 Ryan T. Weir 2003 Elise Hjena 1994 Scott Bartkowski 2004 Holly
Moschiano 1995 Scott A. Kaempfe 2005 Janelle Villone 1996 Randall Bush 2006 Jennifer Peek 1997 Gina Williams 2007 Bethany Hauser 1998 Michael
Mackinder 2008 Nicholas Dosch 1999 Sal Gattone 2009 Thomas Rein 2000 Edward Bongio 2010 Austin Fox
*Students selected based on their co-op experience rating and letters of recommendation following a co-op assignment.
McMahon Excellence in Teaching Award
1985 Milt Tuttle
1986 Vasantha Amarakoon 1987 James Laughner 1988 John Stull
1989 Jennifer Taylor 1990 Philip Crayton 1991 William LaCourse 1992 Alexis Clare 1993 Jennifer Taylor 1994 Alexis Clare
1995 Vasantha Amarakoon 1996 Herbert Giesche
1997 Jennifer A. Taylor 1998 Linda E. Jones 1999 Herbert Giesche
2000 Vasantha Amarakoon 2001 Linda E. Jones
2002 J. Garrett McGowan 2003 Vasantha Amarakoon
Linda E. Jones 2004 Doreen Edwards
James E. Shelby 2005 Matthew M. Hall 2006
2007 Alexis G. Clare 2008 Matthew M. Hall 2009 William C. Carty 2010 Matthew M. Hall
2011 Vasantha Amarakoon 2012 Herbert Giesche
2013 Nathan P. Mellott
John F. McMahon Memorial Lecture Series:
1980, April 23. John F. McMahon. “Changing Horizons in Engineering” (poster)
Series Descriptions
Box 1, 3
File folders containing John McMahon’s handwritten notes on several subjects.
Some include
relevant published material, photocopies of articles, clippings, reports, etc.
Correspondence.
Box 2
Ceramic History notes Box 4
Program materials for the John McMahon lectures. 19 VHS tapes and 3 audio cassettes of the lectures are in Box 4.1.
Box 5-8b
Material received from the McMahon family including commemorative plates, photos, notes and certificates.
Collection
Box 1
Abstracts Bulletin Journal-American Ceramic Society.
Brick.
List of Brick Manufacturers Tributary to the NY Market. 1890.
Daniel deNoyelles. Brick Brands & Manufacturers of the Hudson River Valley and Metropolitan NY City Market. 1974.
Charles Ellery Hall. The Story of Brick. 1972?
College of Ceramics, New York.
CANY. Industrial Fellowships at NYS College of Ceramics, Alfred University.
Alfred Ceramic Alumni Association. Constitution.
Brief history of CANY to 1977.
Ceramic Indexes.
Ceramic Education.
Electrical Porcelain.
U.S.Borax. Vitreous Enamels.
Glass.
H. E. Simpson. Ten Years of Progress in the Glass Industry, 1948-1958. 1959.
Miscellaneous.
Glass Glossary and Glassware Definitions.
Edward E. Mueller. History of the Industrial Development and Future of Ceramics. 1975.
R. M. Campbell. The “Taft” Bathtub in the White House. 1972.
Poems [from Clayworker].
Pottery I.
Floyd W. McKee. The Second Oldest Profession: A Century of American Dinnerware Manufacture.
The New Jersey Ceramist. March 1921.
Charles Leigh Sebring. The Sebring Pottery Company.
Buffalo China Staff. China as Made by Buffalo and Now You Can Do-It- Yourself.
Pottery II.
Processes.
Everhart, Austin & Rueckel. The Effect of De-Airing Stiff-Mud Bodies for Clay Products Manufacture. 1932.
Refractories.
Roofing Tile.
Sewer Pipe.
Felix Singer. Materials for Sewerage Pipes. 1939.
National Clay Pipe Manufacturers. The Story of Clay Pipe: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. 1958.
Soft Mud Bricks.
Richard West. Function of Coal in the Manufacture of Hudson River Soft Mud Brick. 1956.
Department of Commerce. A Critical Study of the Manufacture of Soft Mud Building Brick. 1948.
Statistics.
Structural Clay Products.
Richard Stuart Bower. Investment and Liquidity: A Case Study of Clay Construction Products. 1965.
Cardwell Ross Anderson. Primitive Shelter: A Study of Structure and Form in the Earliest Habitations of Man. 1960.
Directory of Manufacturers in the Structural Clay Products Industry. 1972.
Design and Data Manual: Structural Clay Tile. 1960.
Quality Control in the Manufacture of Structural Clay Products.
Proceedings of the 4th and 5th Plant Seminars. 1966.
Summary Notes, Lectures.
Talk Material.
Terra Cotta.
Transactions.
The United States Potters Association.
Proceedings of the Forty-Ninth Annual Convention of the United States Potters Association. 1927.
Robert E. Boyce. History of United States Potters Association, 1875- 1952.1952
Wall Tile
Correspondence, lectures, misc.
1924-1944 1947 1949
Natural Resources Tour of the Champlain Basin, 1949. Photos.
1950-1957 Box 2
Ceramic History, Volume 1, To 1700 Ceramic History, Volume 2, 1700-1851 Ceramic History, Volume 3, 1851-1926 Ceramic History, Volume 4, 1926-1960 Ceramic History, Volume 5, 1961- Industry Magazine, 1923-1928 Box 3
Correspondence, lectures, misc. (includes clippings) 1958-1962
Balloons 1962 1963-1964
Toledo Glass Award 1964 Honorary Degree 1965 Toledo Glass Award 1965 1965-1968
Bleininger Award 1968 1969-1978
1980
"A Lecture on Glass"
American Ceramic Society - History Mae McMahon. Obituary.
Categories Index File
Early Clayworkers Index File
Glass Index File Glass Notes
“The Paper Trail of John McMahon” by Mel Bernstein. Obituary.
List of projects underway at Experimental Station just prior to its demise.
Set of index cards with addresses and correspondence.
McMahon Chair Committee 1984-1997 [two folders]
Box 4.a and 4.btransferred to MC 18.3 John F. McMahon Memorial Lecture Series:
Box 5.a
The John Francis McMahon Chair in Ceramics* plate (Buffalo by Oneida)
*created in 1986 in honor of Dean McMahon Box 5.b
Plate: Frankoma. American Ceramic Society meeting with British Ceramic Society, Cambridge, England, July 1-4. 1963. Signed.
Box 6
Envelopes and folders received from the McMahon children, mainly about talks, notes, paraphernalia:
1919-1923 Photo Negatives.
1920-1925.
1917-1920.
1922.
1923.
1921-1925.
1926-1929.
1929. Exhibit at Ottawa Museum Photos and 3 Larger Photos Ontario.
1929. Photos: Toronto, Ontario; Hamilton, Ontario; Dan Valley.
1930-1935.
1935. Photos.
1936-1940.
1941-1947.
1948.
1948. Letters of Congratulations.
1933-1988.
1965. Toledo Glass and Ceramic Award.
1971. Dedication of McMahon Building and of Harder Hall.
Talk on European Ceramic Education.
1943. Faculty Talk.
1938-1960. Talks.
1961-1978. Talks.
Undated Talks.
Personal File; Publications; Experience; Employment. Obituaries.
Misc. Thoughts and Ideas.
History of Alfred Notes.
Misc. Undated.
Publications.
Formulas. 19??-1947.
Box 7
Slides: Hornell, Alfred, Miscellaneous Box 8
Undated Record Tribute
Undated Certificate Junior Four Minute Men Speaker 1914 Preliminary Certificate Egberts High School
1917 Certificate State Camp Instruction Military Training Commission 1918 Certificate State Camp Instruction Military Training Commission 1919 Certificate Report Card High School Advertising
1919 Certificate Report Card High School Chemistry 1919 Certificate Report Card High School Algebra 1919 Certificate Report Card High School Algebra 1920 Alpha Zeta Chapter
1931 Certificate Honorary Member Beta Pi Kappa
1934 Alfred University Summer School Grade 1937 Certificate Knight of St. Patrick
1937 Certificate Fellow of the Society The American Ceramic Society 1940 Certificate Grade Report Summer Session Columbia University 1941 Certificate Grade Report Summer Session Columbia University 1942 Certificate Grade Report Summer Session Alfred University 1946 Professional Engineer’s Certificate of Registration
1947 Certificate Initiation Alpha Phi Omega
1955 Certificate Appreciation and Best Wishes The University of the State of New York
1957 Certificate Honorary Life Member Canadian Ceramic Society
1957 Certificate Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science 1957 Certificate President The American Ceramic Society
1957 Correspondence Honorary Degree
1957 Diploma Honorary Degree Doctor of Engineering The Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina
1961 Certificate Citation Alfred University 1961 Biography University Service Citation 1961 Editorial Service Citation
1963 Certificate Award of Achievement The Technical Societies Council 1965 Certificate of Appreciation Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity
1965 Diploma Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science 1965 Photo
1965 Opening College Convocation 1965 Editorial Honorary Degree
1965 Speech Honorary Degree Convocation
1965 Recognition Award Alfred University Alumni Association 1965 Alumni Association 79th Anniversary Dinner
1965 Certificate of Appreciation Alfred University Board of Trustees
1968 Memorial Award Distinguished Achievement Albert Victor Bleininger
1976 Certificate of Acknowledgement Orton Lecture American Ceramic Society 1976 Orton Lecture
1977 Certificate First Past President The Alfred Station Senior Citizens Club 1977 Signatures
1977 Certificate Greaves-Walker Roll of Honor Keramos Fraternity 1980 Fellow Presentations Canadian Ceramic Society Convention 1980 Certificate Fellow of the Canadian Ceramic Society
1980 Correspondence Canadian Ceramic Society 1983 Certificate Meritorious Service Phi Kappa Phi 1985 Certificate Who’s Who in Engineering
Box 8a
1976 Plaque Ceramic Association of New York Appreciation of Service 1987 Ceramic Plate Man of Distinction Award Ceramic Association of New Jersey (with letter and photo)
1981 Plaque Honorary Member Maple City Chorus
Box 8b (New box, updated interleaving, LHabecker Jan 2020) In order, top to bottom
Undated First U.S. Army Certificate of Appreciation 1919 Regent Diploma - has 2 dates June 1920 Jan1946 SUNY License to Practice Engineering
1967 Honorary Membership American Ceramic Society Undated Portrait
1928 Photo of the 30th Annual American Ceramic Society Mtg Banquet 5- 8 Feb 1928
1918 Cohoes High School Diploma
1980 John Francis McMahon Engineering Lecture Poster (1 original, 1 copy)
Alfred University Diploma
1969 Honorary Member of British Ceramic Society, thick parchment - curling
