(L-R) Guy Bailey, Texas Tech president; Lloyd Heinze, chairman of the Bob L. Herd
Department of Petroleum Engineering; Pam Eibeck, dean of the College of Engineering;
Kent Hance, Texas Tech chancellor; Bob L. Herd; Pat Herd; Michael Herd; and Kelli
Herd.
High Resolution Image.
Texas Tech University accepted a $15 million donation from alumnus Bob L. Herd to
the Department of Petroleum Engineering. The money will be used to endow the department.
Herd’s donation will result in the first naming of an academic department on campus,
the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering.
Herd, a 1957 petroleum engineering graduate, is the founder and operator of Herd
Producing Company in Tyler. He was named a Distinguished Engineer in the College
of Engineering in 1995 and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1994. Herd
credits Texas Tech for his success.
“My family and I are pleased we are able to help Texas Tech provide the educational
foundation for future petroleum engineers like it provided me many years ago,” Herd
said. “It was this education that made this donation possible.”
Chancellor Hance praised Herd for making the education of future generations a priority.
“We are honored to name our successful petroleum engineering department after one
of our distinguished graduates,” Hance said. “The generosity of alumni like Mr. Herd
allows our institutions to continue providing excellent educational opportunities.”
“We are proud of the exceptional success of our alumnus in the petroleum industry,”
said Pamela Eibeck, dean of the College of Engineering. “His generosity to the department
is transformative and will allow the program to provide one of the nation’s best
quality petroleum engineering educations to our students into the future. We are
truly grateful for his willingness to give back to the petroleum engineering department.”
Department Chairman Lloyd Heinze says Herd has made a significant mark on the petroleum
industry.
“He set a high standard for others to give to the industry as well as back to Texas
Tech. We are proud to call him one of our Distinguished Engineers,” said Heinze.
Texas Tech produces 10 percent of the U.S. petroleum engineering graduates each year.
The graduate program in the department is ranked in the top ten petroleum engineering
graduate programs in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.
Watch Video >>
Related
The Texas Tech College of Engineering has educated engineers to meet the technological needs of Texas, the nation and
the world since 1925.
Approximately 3,400 undergraduate and 600 graduate students pursue bachelor’s, master’s
and doctoral degrees offered through eight academic departments: civil and environmental,
chemical, computer science, electrical and computer, engineering technology, industrial,
mechanical, and petroleum.
Read More About the College of Engineering
Photo courtesy Artie Limmer.
