Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering Centennial Timeline

Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering Centennial Timeline. . , 1859: First oil well in Oklahoma Territory is drilled by Lewis Ross, who struck oil while drilling for salt water near Salina on the Grand River. , 1890: The University of Oklahoma is chartered. , 1897: The first commercial oil well in Oklahoma Territory, the Nellie Johnstone No. 1, is completed in Bartlesville. , 1900: Charles Newton Gould, known as the “Father of Oklahoma geology” establishes what is now the School of Geosciences. It becomes the first school of petroleum geology in the world. , 1907: Oklahoma statehood , 1916: First geological engineering courses offered. , 1919: Leon Everette English becomes OU'S first graduate in a petroleum engineering discipline. This year also marks the first time petroleum technology courses are offered at OU. , 1921: OU alumni J.C. Karcher invents the reflection seismograph. , 1924: The School of Petroleum Engineering is founded with H.C. George as its director. Four students declared Petroleum Engineering as their majors. , 1927: The School of Petroleum Engineering confers its first five degrees. Oklahoma is the largest oil-producing state with 777,000 barrels per day. , 1928: OU alumni J.C. Karcher and E.L. DeGolyer use Karcher's reflection seismograph invention and find oil from the first well ever drilled using reflection seismography. , 1940: Petroleum engineering becomes the largest degree program within the College of Engineering, with 397 graduates between 1931-1940. , 1948: The first chapter of Pi Epsilon Tau, now the national honorary fraternity for Mewbourne petroleum engineers, is founded by OU students. , 1963: The School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering is formed by uniting the schools of petroleum engineering and geological engineering. , 2000: To honor industry leader and alumnus Curtis W. Mewbourne, the school is renamed the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering.