We have sad news to share with our Foundation family: Robert D. “Bob” Gunn, a giant among exploration geologists, a legendary leader for both AAPG and the AAPG Foundation, and a friend to us all, passed away peacefully on August 3. He was 99.
A native of St. Paul, Minn., Bob moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1949, shortly after receiving his bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Minnesota. His remarkable and extraordinarily successful career started with Texaco, but his legend grew after starting his own company in 1953 – with no financial backing.
Many will recall how in the 1960s, Bob pushed one of his earliest concepts – the idea that he could find oil in the Midland Basin on the 6666 Ranch in King County, Texas. Indeed, he did find oil, discovering more than 150 million barrels of oil reserves from several fields.
Gunn Oil was soon off and running, and Gunn served as its chairman of the board for more than 60 years.
Gunn was an AAPG Honorary Member who joined the Association in 1953 and his impact will continue for years to come. He was president of AAPG in 1978-79, and in 1997 received the Sidney Powers Memorial Award, AAPG’s highest honor.
He also was a member of the AAPG House of Delegates, a charter member of the Division of Environmental Geosciences, received Life Membership in the Division of Professional Affairs and was active on several committees, including the Advisory Council, Corporate Advisory Committee and DPA Governmental Affairs Committee.
Notwithstanding all of those activities, Gunn found time to be active in his local and Section leadership activities; served as a director of the IPAA; was instrumental with his wife, Carol, in raising funds to build the Bridwell Tower complex at Wichita Falls’ United Regional Hospital; and was a passionate, longtime supporter of the Boys and Girls Club of Wichita Falls.
He and Carol were generous supporters of both his alma mater and Midwestern State University, culminating in creation there of the Robert D. and Carol Gunn College of Health Sciences and Human Services. He and Carol also supported the North Texas Area United Way, receiving its Lifetime Community Service Award in 2007.
In 2013, he and Carol were named Wichitans of the Year by the Wichita Falls Board of Commerce and Industry and the Times Record News.
He loved sports, aviation, hunting and being with friends. And in 2017, as part of our 100th anniversary, he was officially honored as an AAPG GeoLegend – you can see a video interview of him discussing his career on the AAPG website.