GLEN C. THRASHER

     This year the Kansas Geological Society honors one of its longtime members who is still active in exploring for hydrocarbons at the age of eighty-eight.  Glen is busy in the library or his office essentially every working day. 

     Glen's story commences in Meadow Grove, Nebraska in 1914. Meadow Grove is in NE Nebraska, northwest of Lincoln. Glen's father was a merchant and farmer in that area.

      He attended elementary and secondary school in Meadow Grove and in 1932 entered the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.  He was assigned an adviser at the University, Dr. Edith Webster. She steered him into Geology 1 and this "hooked" him on geology.  This was the start of his career in the field.  In the course of his studies, he encountered Professor Schram, a widely known geologist, who encouraged Glen to specialize in petroleum geology, which at the time was the only field in the profession offering employment opportunities.

      Glen graduated from the University in January 1937 and in March he joined Texaco in Wichita.  The District Geologist at that time was J.P. McGhee.  When asked what McGhee would say about him, Glen replies that he would probably have said that he was terribly "green" with a lot to learn.

      In 1938, Glen took time off to return to Beatrice, Nebraska to marry Bernice Hunter.  Bernice and Glen have one daughter, Margaret who is a librarian in Cheverly, Maryland, outside of Washington, D.C.

      In August 1938, Texaco transferred Glen to Salem, Illinois and three years later to Denver.  While working in Denver, Glen was inducted in 1942 into the Army of the United States.  He served with the 69th Infantry Division in France and Germany.

      Following his discharge from the army, Glen rejoined Texaco in Denver.  In 1948, Glen entered the consulting field in Denver.  He temporarily abandoned consulting to work for Drillers Gas Co.  There he worked for Lloyd Stewart, father of Jim and Jack both well -known Wichita "oilmen."

      From June of 1951 until 1973, Glen was a consultant in Wichita.  He provided consulting services to: Shelly-Miller, Dunne-Gardner, Hydrocarbon Survey, Rains and Williamson and Francis Raymond.

      Once again in 1973, Glen left the consulting field to work for George Ablah and Little George Oil Co., later to become American Energies.  Glen worked for American Energies until 1984.  He still maintains his office at American Energies working on assembling drilling prospects on the west side of the arch which he refers to as "poor boy" country.

      How do his peers regard him?  Glen quotes Arden Ratzlaff, "he may not be the best geologist I have known, but he certainly is the neatest."

      Professionally Glen has been affiliated with the AAPG and the KGS.  He served for a number of years on the nomenclature committee of the KGS.  He would advise the young geologist entering the field today to have at least a MS degree and to develop an area of specialization and to become proficient in that field.  Glen is a believer in working for a major company and it is his opinion that he learned considerable on a one on one basis during his tenure with Texaco.

      This man who is a  great credit to his profession and is being honored this year, plans to remain active looking for hydrocarbons as long as conditions allow.

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