Industrialist. Born in Little Falls, N.J., August 1, 1876, son of Thomas and Ada (Crooks) Stanley. His father was a miner. Robert C. Stanley received his preliminary education at public schools in Montclair, N.J., and was graduated M.E. in 1899 at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J., and E.M. in 1901 at Columbia University. Meanwhile, he was an instructor in manual training at Montclair High School for a time prior to 1899, and in 1901 he was employed by the S.S. White Dental Company, Philadelphia, P.A., to investigate platinum placer sands in British Columbia, Canada. Upon his return in late 1901, arrangements were made for him to assay his samples at the precious-metals refinery maintained by the Orford Copper Company in its Bayonne, N.J. plant. When the International Nickel Company was formed in 1902, with the Orford Copper Company and American Nickel Company among its associated companies, Stanley began his long career with all three companies. He started out as assistant superintendent and by 1912 had become general superintendent. Early in 1918 he moved to the executive offices in New York City as vice-president in charge of all operations of the International Nickel Company, and in 1922 was elected president of the company. He retired from the presidency in 1949 but maintained active leadership as chairman of the board until the close of his life. He effected numerous advances in nickel metallurgy, such as substitution of a modified Edwards mechanical roasting furnace which enabled an increase in nickel production during the First World War from 40 million pounds to 76 million pounds per year. In 1905 Stanley announced the development of a new white alloy of nickel and copper, which he named Monel. It eventually became one of the leading alloys for applications where strength, corrosion-resistance, and appearance were requisites. The numerous processes which he invented and patented included a method for recovering nickel by electrolytic refining. In 1925, he patented an improved process for Monel refining, known as the Stanley Process, which was particularly concerned with making nickel-copper alloys directly from nickel-copper matte. His religious affiliation was with the Episcopal church. Politically, he was a Republican. He enjoyed fishing, playing golf, and collecting perylites, platinum deposits in ore, which he found in Ontario. He was married in Red Bank, N.J., June 14, 1912, to Alma Guyon, daughter of James Guylon Timolat of that place. Together they had two children: Doris: who married Reuel E. Warriner; and Robert Crooks, who married Nancy K. Knothe. Robert C. Stanley died in Staten Island, N.Y., February 12, 1951.

Bio information from: The National Cyclopedia of American Biography (Published 1974)