Keith D. Millis Has Been Elected to the
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute "Alumni Hall of Fame"

    To:  All the persons who supported Keith D. Millis in his election to the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame

     Your help and willingness to write and tell what Keith had accomplished as a co-inventor of Ductile Iron contributed greatly to his election.  Thank you one and all!
     Only 32 persons have received this high honor from the tens of thousands of men and women who have attended, graduated or been associated with this engineering school since it was founded in 1824 - the oldest engineering college in the English speaking world.  Keith obtained both his Bachelor of Metallurgical Degree in 1938 and also his Master of Mechanical Engineering Degree in 1939 from RPI.
     The first class of 16 persons was selected in 1996.  Keith was elected in the second class of 16 persons and this induction ceremony will take place tentatively at RPI in Troy, New York on Friday, October 15, 1999 at about 4 P.M. according to Peter Pedone who is in RPI's Alumni Relations office.  Of the 16 new inductees, 10 are deceased and 6 are living.  I wish Keith were still alive to receive this great honor: however, I know that future generations of students at RPI will be inspired by his accomplishments as recorded by his election to this Hall of Fame.
     Briefly, over 13 million metric tons of Ductile iron were produced in 1996 in 38 Countries throughout the world.  My estimate of the value of the product is about $29 billion annually.  Perhaps 200 thousand persons are employed today as a  result of this invention.  Quite an invention!  Quite an accomplishment!
     Keith's honor is reflected not only by (1) Rensselaer, but also by (2) Inco Limited - the successor company to International Nickel Company for whom Keith was employed when the discovery was made and the patents granted in 1949 (3) the entire metals industry represented by ASM International (4) the foundry industry represented by the American Foundrymen's Society (5) the Ductile Iron industry represented by the Ductile Iron Society which was founded by Keith and (6) all the companies as well as the men and women who are employed today and owe their livlihood to Keith's invention.
     My thanks to you for your help and cooperation.  I thought you would want to know that your efforts have been successful for Keith.
     I am sending a copy of this letter to Keith's son, Stephen, as well as some RPI personnel and others interested in the Alumni Hall of Fame.

Best personal regards,

Robert E. Savage, Sc.D., Class of 1944 (RPI)

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