Tyler

Bob Herd, operator of Herd Production Co. in Tyler, has donated $15 million to the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech University. The money will endow the department and result in the first naming of an academic department on campus, the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering.

The university accepted the gift during a ceremony Thursday.

Herd is a 1957 Texas Tech petroleum engineering graduate. He was named a Distinguished Engineer in the College of Engineering in 1995 and was recognized by the Texas Tech Ex-Students Association as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1994.

In a statement released by the University, Herd credited Texas Tech for his success.

"My family and I are pleased that we are able to help Texas Tech provide the educational foundation for future petroleum engineers, like Texas Tech provided me many years ago," Herd said. "It was this education that made this donation possible."

Kent Hance, Texas Tech University System Chancellor, praised Herd for making the education of future generations a priority.

"We are honored to name our successful Petroleum Engineering department after one of our distinguished graduates," Hance said in the written release. "The generosity of alumni such as Mr. Herd allows our institutions to continue providing excellent educational opportunities."

"We are proud of the exceptional success of our alumnus in the petroleum industry," said Pamela Eibeck, dean of the College of Engineering. "His generosity to the department is transformative and will allow the program to provide one of the nation's best quality petroleum engineering educations to our students into the future. We are truly grateful for his willingness to give back to Texas Tech's Petroleum Engineering department."

Department chairman Lloyd Heinze says Herd has made a significant mark on the petroleum industry.

"He set a high standard for others to give to the industry as well as back to Texas Tech. We are proud to call him one of our Distinguished Engineers," said Heinze.