CAS CONNECT 2013

Though he knew he wanted to be a petroleum geologist even as a youngster, the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Arts and Sciences Richard D. “Rick” Fritz experienced a few early tests of that conviction when it was time to enroll in college. The first came in Norman in 1970, when he walked away from freshman orientation scratching his head. “My family was excited about OU football, but I left the orientation session with the feeling that the geol- ogy program there was just too esoteric, so I stopped at OSU on my way back to Tulsa,” explains Fritz. “I was immedi- ately impressed by the faculty at OSU because many had worked in the petro- leum industry for years. Their approach fit my background, so I signed up. My parents soon became big OSU fans.” His next test came during a meet- ing with a freshman adviser: “He told me, ‘Don’t go into petroleum geology — you will never find a job and will wind up pumping gas!’ I majored in geol- ogy anyway and by the time I had my master’s degree, I also had about seven [job] offers,” says Fritz. He was just 13 when he started work- ing in the oil fields of Osage County with his father, the late Charles Fritz, who came from a long line of farmers and oilfield workers. “My dad was an independent pumper in the ’60s, and it was a good life. He and my mother Marilyn worked real hard, but they also taught me to have fun. While working in the oil fields, I met several geologists, and I liked ‘talk- ing rocks’ with them and the fact that they were essentially exploring for buried treasure,” Fritz says. He honed his treasure-finding skills at OSU and found some great wealth above ground as well, in the form of mentors. “Drs. John Shelton, John Naff, Gary Stewart and Zuhair Al-Shaieb — not only did they teach us to work hard, but they taught us to love what we were doing.” And as much as he still loves his work, Fritz counts his beloved wife Mary as his most valuable find ever. The couple recently celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. “Her name was Mary Carl, and she was my high school sweetheart. We married at the start of my junior year at OSU, and we enjoyed married life in Stillwater,” he says, adding, “Mary is my best friend and counselor. She grew up in Skiatook, and we were both looking to get out into the world.” Following his graduation with his master’s in geology in 1977, the couple’s new world started with Exxon in Kingsville, Texas — specifically, the King Ranch of South Texas. “One-point-two million acres to explore! It was an exciting time. My team proposed and Exxon drilled almost 100 wells in a 2½-year period,” says Fritz. Over the next 20 years, Rick and Mary Fritz would truly see the world, mostly with Masera Corp., where Fritz became vice president in 1989, supervis- ing major exploration projects in the U.S., the Middle East and Africa. He accepted the executive director position with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists in 1999 and for 12 years provided oversight for numer- ous programs in the U.S. and around the world. He supervised the opening of AAPG offices in the U.K., Bahrain and Singapore. One of his proud- est accomplishments was helping raise more than $35 million for the global support of geoscience through the AAPG Foundation. It was also during his time at the association that Fritz worked with OSU’s most generous alumnus, Boone Pickens, on a special project. “We were trying to build a connection between AAPG and OSU. Mr. Pickens pledged $10 million for a ground- breaking consortium including OSU, AAPG and the industry to develop GIS [geographic information systems] proj- ects related to geology,” explains Fritz. “By 2004, we had re-established the OSU Geology Alumni Council with the goal to make the Boone Pickens School of Geology one of the top schools in the nation, and with Mr. Pickens’ help, we’re well on our way.” As much as he appreciated his time at AAPG, Fritz was ready to go when he was offered a chance to explore liquid resource plays in North America as senior geologist with SM Energy in Tulsa in 2011. “Petroleum geology is my work and passion, but my family is my life and my comfort,” says Fritz. He and Mary have two kids: Ian, 21, is studying to be a geologist and mechanic, and Zoe, 13, is “a daddy’s girl and very talented in sports and music,” Fritz says. “Faith is my core and what keeps me strong,” concludes Fritz. “I have faith in God, in my family, in this country, and of course, OSU. Go Pokes!” Jim Mitchell 9 Perseverance Pays Rick Fritz followed his heart into the energy business 2013 Distinguished Alumnus