Distinguished Engineer Citations

                 

Paul B. Crawford, Ph.D.

Distinguished Engineer

1982

Degree

Chemical Engineering – 1943

 

Citation

At Time of Nomination in 1982

Outstanding engineer, inventor, author, educator, and civic leader are all terms which have been used to describe Dr. Paul Crawford.

Reared in Haskell, Texas, Dr. Crawford graduated from Texas Tech University in 1943 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He later earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Texas.

In 1947, he was employed by the Field Research Laboratories of Magnolia Petroleum Corp. (now Mobil Oil) to work on oil recovery methods using in–situ combustion and steam. He is the inventor of several innovations of the in–situ combustion recovery process. Dr. Crawford has been at Texas A&M University since 1952. He is assistant director of the Texas Petroleum Research committee, a member of the graduate faculty, a professor in Petroleum Engineering, and serves as a consulting engineer. Dr. Crawford has pioneered a number of oil recovery techniques. His work on nitrogen injection is expected to be responsible for the recovery of the energy equivalent of more than one billion barrels of oil. This work has resulted in over 200 technical articles and he has published papers in a dozen of the world’s oil producing countries.

Dr. Crawford has received a number of awards and honors for his professional contributions. In 1971, he was awarded the plaque for outstanding paper at the Summer Computer Simulation conference held in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1977, he received the Italian Interpetrole World Award for American Science. He served as Distinguished Lecturer for the Society of Petroleum Engineers during 1979–1980. He was the recipient of the Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal, presented by the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers in February of this year. He was recently cited by the Senate of the State of Texas, in honor of his accomplishments.

Dr. Crawford is listed in World Who’s Who in Commerce and Industry, Who’s Who in Engineering, Who’s Who in Education, and American Men of Science. He was recently selected for inclusion in Men of Achievement and Dictionary of International Biography of England. Governor Clements has appointed him as representative to the Interstate Oil Compact Commission to serve on the Research Committee, Energy Research and Development Sub–Committee and Long Range Planning Committee.

Dr. Crawford is known in his community for his civic contributions. In 1971, he was selected as one of the Community Leaders of America following fourteen years of volunteer work for Sul Ross Elementary School, Bryan Public Library, United Chest, Jr. Museum and other projects. In 1973, he was named Library Trustee of the Year for his work in building a new library and initiating programs in art, sculpture, music, great books discussion, etc.

Dr. Crawford is married to Bernice L. Murray and has three daughters, one of whom is a senior at Texas A&M.

The complete list of Dr. Crawford’s contributions to his profession and his community is much too long to recount, but Texas Tech University is honored to bestow upon Dr. Paul B. Crawford the title DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER.

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