Tom Regan: A legacy of service, mentorship, and vision at America’s Underground Lab

There are very few people who know the 370 miles of drifts and shafts under the town of Lead as well as Tom Regan. He has spent the better part of 55 years employed at both the former Homestake Gold Mine and the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority. During this time, he’s held a wide range of roles: from a miner extracting gold, to a mine rescue leader who helped forge a strong safety culture, to a member of the team that led the conversion of the former mine into the world-class underground laboratory it is today.

Regan married his wife, Diana, in August of 1969 and by 1971 the couple had a child. Regan needed work while he was attending college at Black Hills State University to support his family. His journey began at Homestake on November 2, 1969.

“They pared me with a seasoned miner and gentleman named Ray Metzger. The cage was running at about 2500 feet per minute. So, that first ride down was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed it,” Regan said. A stop at the 4850 Station was followed by a man car to Four Winze and another descent to the 6200 Level. Regan worked his first shift with Metzger on part of the system needed to move gold ore from the depths to the surface. “I was just enthralled with it all and amazed at what was going on below Lead. I could not believe they were paying me to do this incredible work.”

Regan spent his early years underground, as a motorman on the 6800 Level and later as a borehole machine operator, absorbing the complexities of the mine’s operations. He spent two years serving in the military in an administrative role, building the skillset developed during his college education at Black Hills State. When a job opened up for a scheduler at Homestake, he applied. The foundational knowledge gained during his years as a miner underground proved valuable in his administrative role as a scheduler and planner at Homestake.

Then, nine years after his first trip into Homestake, an event underground changed his career trajectory and gave his work a deeper sense of purpose.

“I still remember that day in 1978 when the fire broke out underground,” Regan said. “The mine was evacuated, and that was when I knew, if something ever went wrong, I wanted to be part of the team that handled it,” Regan recalls, looking back on his early years in the mine. This moment became a turning point in his career, leading him to join the mine rescue team, where he eventually became a key figure. “I just really found a niche there, and all the training, all that I was able to learn, and I became a technical benchman who takes care of the equipment, making sure the breathing apparatuses were working.” Regan was on the Homestake Gold Mine team that took home a victory at the World Championship Mine Rescue contest in 1988.

Regan became a bridge between the strong safety culture built at Homestake and the strong safety culture employed today at SURF.

He served as a foreman during the mine’s closure and decommissioning in the early 2000’s. A few years after his work at Homestake ended, when America’s Underground Lab was first envisioned, Regan became one of the first people hired by the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) to open the underground space. He helped start the faculty’s mine rescue team, and established SURF’s first refuge chambers, completing both equipment purchases and personnel training.

“The commitment to Homestake safety was built through blood, sweat, and tears. It was informed by the experiences of miners and the effort to make sure they all went home after their shift. Whether at Homestake or the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), it’s always been cutting-edge and top priority, and I’m proud to be a part of that,” Regan said.

He’s also proud of all the facility has become in the 20 years since the inception of the SDSTA. “This project is unlike anything else,” he says, reflecting on the lab’s unique position at the intersection of private, state, and federal interests. "We’re a part of something much bigger than any one of us. The combination of these different entities, working together, is what has made this site a success. It’s an experiment in cooperation, and it’s something that will continue to inspire people for generations."

Regan’s balance of respect for the historical significance of the site and an eye toward the future of scientific discovery is rooted in his own faith and community. He is an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Dakota. “Everything that I have done and I do is threaded through that sense of purpose.”

This purpose is evident in one of the guiding mantras Regan has come to live by. "We need to honor the past, be fully present in the moment, and have a vision for the future," he says.

In honoring that past, Regan points to a long list of mentors and friends like Dale Leistra, Fred Raubach, Gary Goodrich, and too many others to name. They include miners, engineers, and administrators who helped him along the way. In turn, Regan has been a mentor to countless individuals. He is one of many past Homestake workers, who are sharing knowledge and skills with a new generation of workers and researchers.

Julie Ewing, Director of Environment Safety and Health at SURF, has known Regan for over 20 years and is now his supervisor. Ewing speaks to his exceptional leadership and mentorship. “Tom’s wealth of knowledge about our work is unparalleled; he’s forgotten more about this ‘old mine’ than most people will ever know,” Ewing said. "But beyond his expertise, Tom has been an inspiration, not only on the job but in his personal life. His kindness and support have touched many lives."

This is Regan’s second transition to retirement; he stepped down from full-time employment at SURF in 2012 but remained on as an expert consultant and part-time employee. Regardless of his employment status, Regan is as committed as ever to the mission of SURF. "I’ll still be here, just in a different way. I’m working on an anthology of every level of the mine, collecting photos and stories to honor the people who worked here," he explains. Regan has dedicated hundreds of photos, documents, and videos captured on the site to the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center in Deadwood where they can be properly preserved for future generations. "This is more than just a job for me. It’s a legacy, and I want to make sure we don’t forget the people who made this possible," he says.

When asked what advice he might have to share with future generations starting their careers at SURF, he reflects back on his first day of work at Homestake Mine in November of 1969 and the words of seasoned miner, Ray Metzger, who taught him the ropes in those first few months underground. “Just listen and learn,” he says. “Take all the talents you have but continue to learn and grow from what you experience each day.”