The late, legendary Midland oilman Autry Stephens led by example—in the boardroom, oil fields and his local community—showing the world that success grows from the ground up when nurtured with passion, courage and grit.
It all started when Autry was a child growing up on a farm in DeLeon, Texas. His hard-working family grew peanuts and a variety of fruits, including watermelons, peaches and cantaloupes, which inspired his love of the outdoors and adventure. “I read there were jobs to be found in petroleum engineering, and these jobs involved working outside at exotic locations around the world. I thought I’d be headed to places like Indonesia, Saudi Arabia or Lake Maracaibo (Venezuela). Nothing has worked out as I imagined in 1956,” said Autry in a 2014 interview with the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering.
Autry followed his father’s advice to attend college instead of joining the family’s farming business, becoming the first in his family to do so. Autry earned his B.S. in Petroleum Engineering in 1961 and completed an M.S. in Petroleum Engineering in 1962, both from the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering.
“With a UT degree in petroleum engineering you are almost guaranteed success – it is a great foundation,” said Autry. “There will be many ups and downs during life, but your education will always be with you and will never disappoint you.”
After graduation, Autry began his career with Humble Oil & Refining Company. Two years into his career at Humble, he jumped at a chance for a new adventure—taking a hiatus from the corporate world to join the Army Corp of Engineers. Passionate about oil and gas, he requested a pipeline engineering job and served as a lieutenant and platoon leader responsible for fuel installations in the U.S. for two years.
In 1979, after working as an appraisal engineer at the First National Bank of Midland, Autry decided to strike out on his own. Forgoing the corporate world to chart his own path, he hung out his shingle as an independent consulting engineer. He started his own sole proprietor business and drilled his first well—a venture that would grow into Endeavor Energy Resources, an exploration and production giant that spanned some 410,000 acres, mainly in Texas. In 1996 he formed Big Dog Drilling Company, a family-owned pier drilling company that brought thousands of jobs to his community—his proudest achievement, he said.
From pioneering new methods for drilling wells that ensured more long-term jobs for employees to appearing in a cameo role on TRU-TV’s reality television show “Black Gold,” Autry’s winding career underscores the importance of taking risks and charting new courses. “I am, to some extent, an accidental engineer,” said Autry. “My brain is wired different than that of the prototypical engineer who has an organized and logical brain. I also started at UT behind in my math skills, but I overcame my lack of engineering aptitude by being highly motivated, creative and a risk-taker.”
In February 2024, Autry agreed to sell Endeavor in a partnership agreement with Diamondback Energy in one of the biggest deals in the oil and gas industry. He passed away this month at age 86.
Longtime contemporary and founder of Pioneer Natural Resources, Scott Sheffield said Autry was “the Sam Walton” of the oil and gas industry. “His mode of transportation was old cars and Southwest Airlines. He became the second largest operator in the Midland Basin and the most successful individual in the industry over the last 50 years, providing affordable energy and national security to all US citizens,” Sheffield said.
When asked about his career, Autry said that his ambition once was simply “to earn a steady paycheck and comfortable retirement.” However, fate stepped in and led him to a life that he never imagined – one that taught him valuable and inspiring lessons for the next generation. “Your degree will open many doors, but it is just a license to learn. The world changes rapidly, and you must stay open to new ideas and technology developments,” he said. “Change jobs if necessary, in order to find work that you enjoy. The history of the oil industry is full of stories of people making and losing fortunes several times over. Don’t let fear of failure keep you from following your dream.”
To his friends and colleagues, Autry is remembered as a pioneer. “Autry’s life and career demonstrate the value and diversity of a PGE degree,” said PGE Department Chair Matthew Balhoff. “By preparing students to lead on the oilfields and in the boardroom, a PGE degree can sustain them through seasons of uncertainty in the oil industry. Autry’s career as an engineer, wildcatter and business founder leaves a legacy for his family, businesses and Texas Engineering community.”
“We are so proud of Autry,” said Roger Bonnecaze, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering. “His life and career illustrate what it means to be a Texas Engineer—hard-working, impact-driven, innovative, resilient and dedicated to making a true difference. His story is an inspiration to generations of Cockrell students, alumni and researchers, setting a precedent for success that will inspire them to follow their dreams.”
“We celebrate and honor the extraordinary life of Autry Stephens, whose career was marked by the entrepreneurial and pioneering spirit of West Texas,” said former Secretary of Commerce Don Evans in a joint statement with his wife, Penny. “In good times and in bad, Autry always bet on the Permian, and it paid off in a big way. Despite his incredible success, Autry remained a humble, soft-spoken gentleman with a sweet and caring soul. His distinguished life and career will forever stand as a remarkable chapter in the history of the oil and gas industry, inspiring generations to come.”
