Lasting Memories

William E. Brigham
April 1, 1929-Feb. 15, 2004
Stanford, California

William E. Brigham, 75, a professor emeritus of petroleum engineering at Stanford University, died Feb. 15, 2004.

His research into the physical mechanisms of recovery from oil reservoirs was highly regarded by his colleagues worldwide.

Born April 1, 1929, in Murphysboro, Ill., he received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State University in 1950. A year later he was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps and stationed on Treasure Island in San Francisco. There he met his future wife, Carol Cobb. They were married in 1954.

From 1956 to 1962 he pursued his graduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Oklahoma while working for Continental Oil Company in Ponca City, Okla. He earned a doctoral degree in 1962 and remained with Conoco until 1968.

In 1971 he joined Stanford's department of petroleum engineering and served as its associate chair from 1979 to 1990. He served as the principal adviser of 25 doctoral, three engineering and 37 master's students.

On Feb. 9, the department inaugurated the Brigham Laboratory in the Green Earth Science building to honor him and his contributions to the university.

He was the recipient of the John Franklin Carll Award and the Improved Oil Recovery Pioneer Award from the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He also received the Homer H. Lowry Award for Excellence in Fossil Energy Research from the U.S. Department of Energy.

He wrote more than 250 papers and technical reports and was an honorary member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Carol; daughters, Nancy Blattel, Laurie Jester and Sarah Fletcher; sons, Bill Brigham and David Brigham; 10 grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.