I began an Electrical Apprenticeship in Mt Isa in Feb 1972 along with a large number of other country boys that had been recruited in the Mount Isa Mines apprentice scheme of that time. We were assembled & addressed en-mass by Sir James Foots who related that Mount Isa Mines was in the throws of an exciting & large expansion. However this meant that they had to borrow capital and we remained indebted to Asarco, a large American mining giant of those times who consequently now owned 49% interest. Sir James explained that his greatest aim was to buy back every bit of MIM from Asarco to be a solely Australian owned company again. He was inspiring to listen to and spoke with such determination and sincerity that one instinctively felt that they would like to help this man achieve his vision and aims. In the years that followed MIM not only brought back MIM to be a solely sowed Australian owned company but became major stakeholders in the ownership of Asarco. I am proud to have worked for him and gratefull to have known him.