In the 1951 Kendallabrum, George L. Hancock, Jr.’s photo shows a young man with an elfish grin and a look of self-satisfaction. He was preparing to graduate from The University of Tulsa with his bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering that year, and he would celebrate another graduation the following year as he received his MS in petroleum engineering. A native Tulsan, Hancock had deferred his higher education to serve his country in the U.S. Navy. Like so many of his generation, this veteran returned to complete his education, but he also managed to make time for campus activities, including the Engineers Club, Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity and Pi Epsilon Tau, an honor society for professional engineers.
At the age of 25, he launched a long and fulfilling career with Gulf Oil Company in Texas. While he undoubtedly enjoyed his work, he was also a devoted family man. He and his wife, Louise, raised two children, Mark Allen and Marcia Ann, and eventually enjoyed being grandparents to four grandchildren. Hancock also had several hobbies and interests, such as singing in Houston’s First Christian Church choir, hunting and fishing, and exploring his family tree. He was a patriot and proud member of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Sons of the Republic of Texas.
After 30 years with Gulf, he retired in 1982, and then spent another 10 years as a consultant. In 1993, the family learned that Mr. Hancock was dying of cancer. Friends and business associates, especially Sam Reiger, rallied around and on January 1, 1994, established an endowed scholarship fund at TU, which was named The George L. Hancock, Jr. Engineering Scholarship in his honor. Mr. Hancock passed away on April 14 of that year, knowing that his name and love of his alma mater would be sustained by the recipients of this generous scholarship program for generations to come.
The University of Tulsa, its College of Engineering and Computer Science, and the many recipients of this scholarship continue to be grateful for this heartfelt remembrance of George L. Hancock, Jr.
