Robert William Bybee (1919 - 2010)

Born 12 Oct 1919 in Austin, Travis, Texas, United States

Husband of Elizabeth Mai (Rachal) Bybee — married 17 Jun 1939 in Austin, Travis, Texas, United States

Died 19 Sep 2010 at age 90 in Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bob Powell [send private message]

Biography

Robert William "Bob" Bybee was the son of Halbert Pleasant Bybee and Ruth Woolery. He grew up in San Angelo and Austin where he was an Eagle Scout. He learned camping, hunting and fishing at an early age. Bob graduated from Austin High School and from The University of Texas in 1941 with a Bachelor of Science in geology. He was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. While still a student at The University of Texas, he married another student there, Elizabeth Mai Rachal, in 1939. They had three daughters.

Bob joined Humble Oil Company (later incorporated into Exxon) in 1941. Most of his long career was spent exploring for oil and gas throughout the United States. Bob and his family lived in Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico. He was involved in Humble Oil and Exxon's first offshore exploration and for many years was operations manager of headquarters exploration for Exxon.

Bob founded the New Orleans Chapter of the American Society for Oceanography and served as the first President. He was also on the National Council of the Marine Technology Society. During 1970-71 he served on the Texas House of Representatives Study Committee on Oceanography. In the fall of 1975, he completed two years on the Secretary of Commerce's Advisory Committee on Coastal Zone management. He also served on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the National Ocean Industries Association and was active in the American Petroleum Institute, the International Oceanographic Foundation and American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Bob was also on the Board of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. After his retirement in 1981, he founded Bybee International, serving as a consultant in the oil and gas business. He enjoyed People to People trips with the Petroleum Geology Delegation to China and Russia in the 1980's. His hobbies included hunting, fishing, golf and traveling. He belonged to the Houston Petroleum Club, River Oaks Country Club, The Old Baldy Club in Saratoga, Wyoming and the St. Charles Bay Hunting Club, where he served as president.

Sources

• Marriage Announcement published in The Austin American, Austin, Texas on 6 Feb 1940.
• Texas, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1837-1965.
• United States World War II Draft Registration Records.
• News article published in the San Angelo Standard-Times, San Angelo, Texas on 4 Jul 1978.
• Obituary published in The Odessa American, Odessa, Texas on 23 Sep 2010.
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59080290/robert-william-bybee