Thomas D. Barrow to Receive William B. Heroy Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to AGI

Alexandria, VA — The American Geological Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce Thomas D. Barrow as the 2007 recipient of the William B. Heroy Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to AGI.

The Distinguished Service Award is presented in honor of William B. Heroy, Jr., who advanced the use of geophysics in petroleum exploration and in geologic research worldwide. Recipients of this award are measured against his exemplary career and in recognition of outstanding service to the Institute and to the geoscience profession.

Dr. Barrow’s hard work and influence led to an initial large contribution from John A. Jackson to initiate the William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship Endowment in 2003. In 2006, Barrow challenged the AGI Foundation with an additional large gift to raise an additional $200,000 while he personally met the needs to fulfill the endowment in January of 2007.

The Fisher Fellowship will now be able to support one geoscience Congressional Fellow annually in perpetuity. This represents the first congressional fellowship in the physical sciences to be fully endowed.

Barrow received both a B.S. in petroleum engineering and a M.A. in geology from the University of Texas and a Ph.D. in geology from Stanford. In 1951 he started his career with Humble Oil where he later became President and director. Dr. Barrow served as Senior Vice President & Director of Exxon Corporation and also served as Chairman and CEO of Kennecott Corporation, and Vice Chairman of Standard Oil Company (Ohio). He has served in management positions for several organizations and is currently President of Thomson-Barrow Corporation. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and is one of only three geologists from Texas currently a member of the National Academy.

Barrow’s commitment to AGI through the Foundation and his work to ensure the full endowment of the Fisher Fellowship makes him extremely deserving of this award. The award will be presented on April 1, 2007 at the AGI Past President’s Dinner as part of the AAPG Annual Convention in Long Beach, California.