A native of Iran, Nasser Esphahanian graduated from The University of Tulsa in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with an emphasis in oil refinery operations. He determinedly built a successful career as an engineer in chemical plant and oil pipeline construction. In 1970, he played a crucial role in the U.S. space program by supervising the design and construction of a plant and pipeline system to supply nitrogen to the Kennedy Space Center launch facilities for the Apollo manned lunar landing program.

He later joined the Houston Contracting Company as Vice President and Middle East Area Manager. His new role had him return to Tehran with his wife, Ramona, and their two children, Cyrus and Vanita. For the next seven years, Nasser supervised numerous large-scale projects for the Iranian national oil and gas companies throughout the Middle East. The Esphahanian family returned to Houston in the late 1970s. In 1985, Mr. Esphahanian formed Houston PipeCom, Inc., which designed and constructed chemical plants in the Middle East, Canada, Argentina, and the United States. He served as Houston PipeCom’s President until his retirement in 1994.

After Nasser’s death in 1997 at the age of 67, Ramona Esphahanian and her children continued to support The University of Tulsa through their Esphahanian Foundation in Houston, Texas. They established the Nasser Esphahanian Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund for Iranian Students in 2004 to advance cross-cultural understanding between the people of the United States and the people of Iran. Ramona passed away in 2014 at the age of 85.

As a citizen of the world, Mr. Esphahanian was very proud of both his Iranian heritage and the opportunities he found in America. Thanks to the generosity of his family, future generations of students will enjoy similar opportunities to discover and develop their own abilities to build a better world.