J. William SODERMAN

1935 - 2022  (86 years)

• Name	J. William SODERMAN
  Birth	31 Oct 1935	Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Also Known As	Bill
  Emigration	6 Dec 1939	Oslo, Oslo, Norway   [2]
  	aboard the S.S. “Oslofjord”
  Immigration	16 Dec 1939	Port of New York, New York, USA   [1, 2]
  	aboard the S.S. “Oslofjord”
  Residence	16 Dec 1939	Mount Vernon, Westchester, New York, USA   [2]
  Education	B.A., Columbia College, 1957
  Education	M.S., University of Illinois, 1960
  Education	Ph.D., University of Illnois, 1962
  Education	Stanford Graduate School of Business, 1984
  Occupation	Geologist
  Death	22 Feb 2022	Montgomery, Montgomery, Texas, USA   [1]
  Person ID	I60027	Dyal and Speckels
  Last Modified	30 Oct 2022

  
  

  Children	+ 1. Living
  Family ID	F39323	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	30 Oct 2022

  
  

• Notes

  “Bill was born in Helsinki, Finland, in 1935. His parents brought Bill and his brother, Roger with them to the United States in 1939 to escape involvement in WWII. He attended public schools in Teaneck, N. J. In 1957, he graduated from Columbia College in New York City with a B.A., and the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, where he received an M.S. in 1960, and a Ph.D. in geology in 1962. At Illinois, he was elected to Sigma Chi, the scientific honor society, and Phi Kappa Phi, the honor society for superior scholarship. Bill was also an alumnus of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, class of 1984. “Following two summer jobs working as a geologist for oil companies in New Mexico, Bill joined Texaco in 1962, where he held various positions including Special Projects Geologist, Assistant Division Geologist, and Supervisor of Geologic Research. He resigned in 1978 to become the Chief Geologist for Monsanto Oil Company and was later promoted to VP Worldwide Exploration. After Monsanto Oil Company was acquired by BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary) in 1987, he was named VP Exploration for BHP Americas. Bill worked for BHP three years, resigning in 1990 to become the VP Exploration for BG (British Gas). In 1993, he retired. “In his retirement, Bill became an active investor and philanthropist. He funded three fellowships at the Geology Department of the University of Illinois. Bill and his wife Janet made significant contributions to the Houston Ballet. He was a member of the board of directors at the Wetlands Center in Baytown, Texas. “What set Bill apart was his passion for geology that began with his first class at Columbia. He never lost his love for learning. For the entirety of his career, he was a ‘fountain of knowledg’” for geoscience and technical concepts. One of his more significant epiphanies was his visualization of a new petroleum province, the sub-salt play in the Gulf of Mexico, before it was recognized by the oil industry. He was a mentor to young professionals in the oil industry, several of whom advanced to senior positions in their companies. His hobby was fishing, mainly out of Port O' Connor, Texas, and Pine Island Sound on the west coast of Florida. “Dee and Bill were married in 2008. They built their home overlooking Lake Conroe in the Bentwater community of Montgomery, Texas, and he lived there until his demise.” [1]

  
  

• Sources

  [S4287] Dignity Memorial, Bill Soderman Obituary. [S122] Year: 1939; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 28; Page Number: 86.