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The October 13, 2016 MSA Program: “Mr. Arthur L. Flagg, Founder of Mineralogical Society of Arizona.” will be presented by Mr. Phil Richardson.

Phil will give our October program presentation on Mineralogical Society of Arizona (MSA) and founder Mr. Arthur L. Flagg, namesake for Flagg Mineral Foundation (FMF). Mr. Flagg, also known as Mr. Rockhound and The Dean of Arizona Rockhounds had a significant influence on mineral collecting and exhibition in Arizona and helped co-found the Rocky Mountain and American Federation of Mineralogical Societies.

Phil’s affiliation with MSA goes back into the 1990’s and as Chairman of Flagg Mineral Foundation, he has championed a closer affiliation between our two Arthur L. Flagg inspired organizations.  Phil is an Honorary Life Member of MSA, longtime MSA lecturer, generous donor both personally and as representative of FMF.  As Chairman of FMF, he is responsible for Foundation collections and exhibits at Flagg Gem & Mineral Show and Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®, co-chair for annual Minerals of Arizona Symposium, and organizer of annual Flagg Gem & Mineral Show in its 45th year held at Mesa Community College.  He is a member of Arizona Mineral Minions and a well-regarded collector, exhibitor, author and lecturer.  He authored (Jan/Feb 1992) Utah Mineral Collecting, Special Utah Issue, Rocks & Minerals and (Jan/Feb 2012) Arthur Leonard Flagg and the Flagg Mineral Foundation, Rocks & Minerals, Vol. 87, p. 31-38.  Phil and Bill Yedowitz accepted MSA 2014 Hall of Fame induction award on behalf of Flagg Mineral Foundation and Phil is recipient of 2016 A. L. Flagg Lifetime Achievement Award for distinguished services to FMF.

Phil moved from his native Utah to Phoenix, Arizona in 2002 and is a Project Consultant for Coreslab Structures where he collaborates, designs, fabricates, and constructs precast concrete structures such as bridges, parking structures, sports arenas, and the exterior cladding for high rise buildings. Phil studied geology, engineering, and architecture at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. His first post college job was working as a geological field technician for Call & Nicholas out of Tucson, Arizona in the Kennecott Copper Company open pit mine at Bingham Canyon, Utah. After this stint in the field, Phil decided to utilize his engineering degree, is a registered Structural Engineer in Utah and Arizona, and now works for Coreslab.

Phil has followed his passion for mineral collecting since the age of eleven, when his grandfather gave him a Bingham Canyon pyrite specimen as he was working on a Boy Scout badge in Geology.  Phil still has this pyrite specimen in his collection today, and Bingham Canyon anchors one of his largest Utah locality suites. Working in the Bingham Canyon mine was a cathartic experience as he came to the conclusion that his passion truly was exploration and field collecting minerals and not necessarily his chosen profession.  When Phil started to pursue engineering as his career, he spent the weekends in the field exploring Utah and collecting minerals. One of the culminations of this effort was the publishing of several articles on Utah mineral collecting; one specifically was the 1992 January/February Rocks & Minerals magazine special Utah issue.   Upon moving to Phoenix, Phil joined both the Flagg Mineral Foundation and the Mineralogical Society of Arizona. Phil and his family, especially his two daughters Alison and Erica, have been frequent exhibitors in the Arizona State Fair, the Flagg Gem and Mineral Show, and Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®.

The meeting will be held in the Padre Serra room at the Franciscan Renewal Center, 5802 E. Lincoln Dr., Scottsdale, AZ. Arrive 7PM, meeting starts at 7:30PM.