Lachlan Maury Vass
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
administration as one of the representatives to China to exchange information on how to better develop existing petroleum reserves in China.
Military service
Vass was accepted to Tulane UniversityTulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in the summer of 1942 and enlisted that fall in the Navy V-12 program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
. In 1943, he was transferred to Pre-Midshipman training at Asbury Park, NJ, then in the fall to Officers Candidate School at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Ithaca, NY. In January 1944, at the age of 19, he was commissioned Ensign, USNR, one of the youngest United States commissioned officers in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Following training at the Navy Minewarfare School, Yorktown, VA, he served in the Pacific aboard USS Skirmish
USS Skirmish (AM-303)
USS Skirmish was an built for the United States Navy during World War II. She received four battle stars during World War II. She was decommissioned in December 1945 and placed in reserve. In February 1955, while still in reserve, her hull number was changed from AM-303 to MSF-303, but she was...
, the command vessel of Mine Squadron 12, a unit that was credited with sweeping 2,117 mines during World War II. In 1946, he returned to Tulane to complete his degree, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Geology in February 1948.
Civilian career
He then joined Amerada Hess CorporationHess Corporation
The Hess Corporation is an integrated oil company based in New York City. The company explores, produces, transports, and refines crude oil and natural gas. Vertically completing the logistical chain, about 1,360 Hess branded filling stations market gasoline to consumers in 16 states along the...
in Lafayette, LA. In 1971, he was named Vice President of Exploration in Tulsa, OK, and was later transferred to Houston as Vice President of Offshore Joint Ventures. In October 1974, he joined Mitchell Energy Corporation, Woodlands, TX, as Senior Vice President of Exploration. He joined Transco Energy Corporation of Houston in 1981 as Senior Vice President, Exploration & Land until his retirement in 1984 While at Transco, Mr. Vass recruited and hired Kenneth Lay
Kenneth Lay
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Lay was an American businessman, best known for his role in the widely reported corruption scandal that led to the downfall of Enron Corporation. Lay and Enron became synonymous with corporate abuse and accounting fraud when the scandal broke in 2001...
as his replacement.
He was a Certified Petroleum Geologist of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists
American Association of Petroleum Geologists
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists is one of the world's largest professional geological societies with over 31,000 members as of 2007. The AAPG works to advance the science of geology , to promote technology, and to inspire high professional conduct...
and served on the Exploration Affairs Committee of that organization.