22
PROFILE:
at the University of Nebraska where he received
a Bachelor of Science degree in 1949 and a
Master's in 1951. Bob had originally enrolled
in engineering, but after 1-½ years he decided to
take a course in geology and as he states "I was
hooked and became an addict." Also entering
into his decision was the fact that his older
brother, Jack, and an uncle were geologists. In-
cluded in his classmates at Nebraska were: Dick
Bick, Earl Brandt, Don Bieber, Bob Rutledge
and Roger Welty. Two professors at Nebraska
were very influential in Bob's career. Professor
Schramm, Head of the Department, taught him
the practical side of business and Professor
Stout who was a top-notch stratigrapher taught
him to be inquisitive. The students at the Uni-
versity of Nebraska were being exposed to the
theory of plate tectonics long before it was ac-
cepted. Bob also continued his higher education
at Tulsa University and the University of Okla-
homa.
In 1948 Bob was married and he has
two sons: Michael, President and COO of
Kachemak Mining Corp, Chicken, Alaska,
where he currently mines placer gold in the
Forty Mile Mining District Alaska, and Kirk,
CPA and Corporate Auditing Supervisor for the
Internal Revenue Service in Denver.
Bob commenced a nineteen-year career
with Conoco in 1951, which included positions
of Area Geologist, Casper; Assistant Division
Geologist, Billings; Division Geologist, Wich-
ita; Division Manager, Casper; and Regional
Manager, Denver. He recalls his first day of
work at Conoco in 1951. He was sent to the
then developing Wyoming field, Sussex-
Meadow Creek, to "well sit." He had never been
on a rig, nor had he ever examined well cut-
tings. At the time Conoco had a number of rigs
drilling. Because Bob was the only geologist,
he was very concerned that he would not be pre-
sent when he was needed. When he walked on
the floor of the first rig, the driller said "we
have a drilling break." Since he wa s concerned
about not being present on the other rigs, he re-
This is the story of a geologist who
commenced his life's journey in Wakefield, N e-
braska and has now returned to "his roots" after
a varied and interesting exploration career.
Bob was born in March of 1926 in
Wakefield, where his father was the owner of a
grain elevator. Bob has one brother, Jack, who
was a petroleum geologist in the Mid-Continent
with Texaco, and later a consultant. Jack passed
away in 2002.
Bob attended schools in Wakefield
where he graduated from high school in 1944.
In May of 1944 he commenced service in the U.
S. Air Corp. He served as a belly gunner on a
B-24 bomber crew. He received a discharge
from the service in October of 1944 after serv-
ing primarily in Texas, Colorado and Albuquer-
que, New Mexico.
Following his discharge, Bob enrolled
Robert Busby