Eugene McDermott

Eugene McDermott (1899-1973) was a geophysicist and co-founder first of Geophysical Service and later of Texas Instruments.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 12, 1899. He graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1919 with a mechanical engineering degree.

Upon graduation, McDermott began working for the Goodyear Rubber Company. In 1923, he began employment with Western Electric Company where he first met J. Clarence Karcher. This experience inspired in McDermott a desire for graduate studies. Earlier Everette Lee DeGolyer, vice president and general manager of Amerada Petroleum Corporation of Dallas, had learned of Karcher's 1921 experiments with the seismograph and held a meeting with Karcher that resulted in the creation of Geophysical Research Corporation (GRC) of Tulsa where Karcher was made vice president. This was as a subsidiary of Amerada. McDermott received a Master of Arts in physics from Columbia University in 1925 and immediately began to work for his friend Karcher. GRC introduced the seismic reflection method which was quickly accepted by the petroleum industry as a promising new tool during the next five years.

In 1930, with the backing of DeGolyer, now president of Amerada, Karcher and McDermott launched Geophysical Service, a pioneering provider of seismic exploration services to the petroleum industry with Karcher serving as president and McDermott as vice-president. McDermott's early work in petroleum exploration led to multiple papers and five patents. During the first year of operation McDermott hired Cecil H. Green. These two would have a lasting relationship for the next 43 years. In 1939 the company reorganized as Coronado Corp., an oil company with Geophysical Service Inc (GSI), now as a subsidiary. On December 6, 1941, McDermott along with three other GSI employees, J. Erik Jonsson, Cecil H. Green, and H.B. Peacock purchased GSI, During World War II, GSI built electronics for the United States Army Signal Corps and the Navy. After the war GSI continued to produce electronics. The rugged nature of equipment for the oil industry and of military equipment were similar and thus continued expansion into military contracts was a natural progression. In November 1945 Patrick E. Haggerty joined GSI.

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