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Calvin C. McKee
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Distinguished Alumni
Calvin C. McKee (BS ’48) is pragmatic, thoughtful and direct – traits that have served him well for more than 90 years. McKee retired from the presidency of Warren Petroleum in 1983 after decades of traveling the world as a leader in the oil and gas industry.
Not one to wax nostalgic, he says the decision to attend The University of Tulsa was simply an economic one. A kind admission officer helped McKee secure a prestigious $100 scholarship, which paid for the majority of his college tuition following his graduation from Tulsa’s Marquette High School.
His sister was already enrolled at TU, and McKee knew a degree from a world-class engineering school would lead to gainful employment, so the choice was clear. Education was important to the family, and at one time or another all six of McKee’s siblings attended The University of Tulsa.
“Dr. Wilbur L. Nelson was the best part of engineering and refining,” McKee said fondly. He remembers several other professors from other departments that had a positive influence on his TU experience: F.T. Eikenberry, English/literature; Ralph J. Kaufmann, chemistry; J.C. Klotz, engineering; and Ralph Veatch, mathematics. “They were all great teachers,” McKee said.
War interrupted McKee’s collegiate career, and he joined the U.S. Army. He served as a paratrooper in the European Theater during World War II before graduating with a degree in petroleum engineering (refining emphasis) and then recalled during the Korean War to serve a grateful nation once again.
McKee started his professional life as a draftsman but was quickly promoted to junior engineer. “My forte was the design and construction of gas plants,” he said. McKee became chief engineer for Warren Petroleum in 1956 – the same year Warren merged with Gulf Oil Corporation.
For 17 years, McKee served Gulf Oil’s gas and gas liquids division in the Eastern hemisphere, leading projects in Kuwait, Venezuela, and Canada. He also worked out of offices in London, Pittsburgh and Houston.
In the early 1970s, McKee headed up a massive gas-processing project in the Pazanan region of Iran. “That was my first billion-dollar project,” McKee said, his eyes flashing. “There were eight to ten years that were the most exciting time the energy industry has ever seen.”
He returned to Oklahoma as president of Warren Petroleum in 1977. (“Tulsa is home,” he said.) He served in that capacity until retiring in 1983. But, like many retirees who love their work, McKee didn’t stay away from the field for long and accepted consulting roles until fully retiring in 1989.
Since then, he has been active in Tulsa’s Catholic Charities, which offers food, clothing, health care and financial assistance to those in need. He also is a competitive shooting champion, inducted into the Oklahoma State Skeet Association Hall of Fame in 1999 and named to the National Skeet Shooting Association All-American Team in 2005-06.
McKee and his wife, Patti, have two daughters and four sons, including Gary McKee (BS ’72). They enjoy visiting their 13 grandchildren and four great-granddaughters.
Inducted into the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences Hall of Fame in 1980, McKee has long served on the Chemical Engineering Advisory Board and was a member of the TU Board of Trustees from 1982 to 1991. His brother Pat was inducted into the ENS Hall of Fame in 2012, and his brother-in-law Thomas H. Russell (BS ’57) was named a TU Distinguished Alumnus in 2013.
“TU is a great school for the community,” McKee said. “I am very pleased to be named a Distinguished Alumnus. It is a great honor.”