W.A. "Tex" Moncrief, Jr. BSPE '42

Determined that both of his sons receive the finest educations available, W.A. “Monty” Moncrief, Sr. sent both Dick and Tex to Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana, where Tex graduated cum laude. W.A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. then went on to graduate from the University of Texas in 1942, with a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering. He was one of the first graduates of the new department, and became a pioneer in the oil and gas industry.

Tex immediately went to work for Consolidated Vultee, which had a huge bomber (B-24) plant in Fort Worth, but soon landed a job with Stanolind Oil and moved to Greggton, Texas, where he worked as a field engineer in East Texas.

When the U.S. entered WWII, Tex, just like his father went to serve. He received a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve and was trained at Harvard as a communications officer. Serving in the Pacific, Tex’s flotilla had received orders to invade Japan when the Japanese surrendered. Tex returned to Fort Worth and joined his father in the oil business.

The Moncriefs were blessed with being a part of many great oil discoveries, which included Conroe and Hastings on the Texas gulf coast, the Moncrief Smackover Gas unit in east Texas, the Moncrief Field in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, and the Kelly Snyder Field and Cedar Lake Unit of west Texas. More discoveries came in New Mexico and Oklahoma, then Wyoming in the very early-seventies, when Hartzog Draw, Powell, Pine Tree and North Buck Draw in the Powder River Basin were discovered. The most significant discoveries, though, were the Long Butte and Madden Deep units in the Wind River Basin, as well as Tepee Flats and Cave Gulch.

Tex and his father worked well together, and Tex carried on the family traditions. Tex serves as president of the William A. and Elizabeth B. Moncrief Foundation, which contributes to educational, health, civic and cultural organizations, including The University of Texas, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Culver Military Academy and the Campbell Memorial hospital in Weatherford, Texas where the Moncrief Ranch is located. Tex was named to the Texas Philanthropy Hall of Fame in 2001.

Tex’s contributions to The University of Texas are substantial, and everlasting. From 1987-1993, he served on the Board of Regents for The University of Texas System. In 2009, Moncrief gave a donation to create the W. A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. Endowment in Simulation-Based Engineering Sciences, which will continue to help young students chase after their dreams just like he did. The Texas Exes presented Tex with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008 for his success in the oil business and his longtime support of the University. The Moncrief- Neuhaus Athletic Center stands as the football headquarters and was dedicated to the devout Longhorn in 1997, in recognition of Tex’s many contributions to UT and UT Athletics. And just recently on Sept. 10, 2010, a statue of Tex was unveiled at the stadium in the Red McCombs Red Zone.