Curators

Kiril Spiroff

Kiril was born in Bulgaria on April 21, 1901. He arrived in the United States as a young boy and grew up in Michigan, graduating from Michigan College of Mines. After completion of college in 1923, he moved out west to pursue a job as a mining engineer. After 10 years of working in the working world, Spiroff returned to Michigan College of Mines and earned a master's degree in 1933. He worked for the museum at $0.25 per hour under Dr. C.O. Swanson, then head of the department. He also taught a few classes and held the position of a lab instructor and became an assistant curator in 1935. After seaman's death, Spiroff was appointed curator in 1938. Spiroff's influence on and work in the museum was constant throughout his years of teaching, mining engineering and consulting. It was due largely to his friendly and knowledgeable influence that the museum received countless donations from various individuals in the mineral industries and at least two very large private collections.