J. Michael Walker
M.S. Mechanical Engineering 1968
Co-Founder and Former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dril-Quip Inc.
J. Mike Walker was the co-founder of Dril-Quip Inc. and is the namesake of the Cockrell School of Engineering’s mechanical engineering department. He earned his master’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 1968 and his bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 1966 and 1974, all in mechanical engineering. He graduated at the top of his undergraduate class, earned a National Science Foundation fellowship to attend UT Austin and taught engineering mechanics at Texas A&M while earning his Ph.D., all of which spoke to his belief in the importance of higher education.
After serving in several positions at ExxonMobil, McEvoy Oil and Vetco, Mike co-founded Dril-Quip, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of offshore drilling and production equipment, in 1981. When he retired from his role as chairman, president and chief executive officer in 2011, Dril-Quip had a stock market value in excess of $4 billion and more than 2,200 employees around the world.
In 2009, Mike was named a distinguished graduate of the department that now bears his name. On Dec. 27, 2018, he died at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife, Donna, and their three grown children, Lawrence, Amanda and Melinda.