Rukard Hurd was born on July 15, 1858, in Cincinnati, Ohio.  He graduated from PMA in 1878, earning a degree in civil engineering.  After graduating, Hurd settled in Minnesota.  From 1889 to 1907, he worked in the life insurance business.  He served on the Minnesota State Legislature in 1901 and 1902. In 1915 Hurd was appointed director of the Department of Mines and Natural Resources for the Minnesota Tax Commission; he had already served as Secretary of the Commission since 1907.  Hurd also acted as a consulting engineer for the U. S. Bureau of Mines. In 1911, Hurd's Iron Ore Manual of the Lake Superior Region was published cementing Hurd's reputation as one of the leading mining experts in the northwest. During World War I, Hurd took a position as major in the Engineer Reserve Corps and was the officer in charge of the Division of Statistics and Reports.  He worked in the General Engineering Depot in Washington, D.C., from December 21, 1917, to June 5, 1918. Hurd was a long time member of the American Mining Engineers and the American Iron and Steel Institute. Hurd remained active with his alma mater by participating in the Western Alumni Association of Pennsylvania Military College, which each year presented a gold medal to the cadet of the third class who maintained the highest record of scholarship. In 1912 PMC awarded Hurd an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree for his accomplishments in life and dedication to the school. In honor of PMC, Hurd wrote the words and music to three cadet songs: Rally (in memory of Theodore Hyatt), PMC Marching Song, and PMC Cadet Lay (dedicated to Charles Hyatt). Rukard Hurd died at his vacation home in Frontenac, Minnesota on July 27, 1922.  He was 64.

Share link - https://pmc.widener.edu/pmc/legacies/cadets/rukard-hurd-78-mining-expert-and-pmc-songwriter