Phi Delta Theta - University of Missouri

THE MO ALPHA PHI 2 F or Dr. M. Ray Thomasson '52, Phi Delta Theta membership was a point of pride as he joined one of Mizzou's top fraternities. Ray remains grateful for his experience that prepared him for a successful career, and he was honored to give back by supporting Missouri Alpha's scholarship endowment campaign. Missouri Alpha Memories While Ray's brother was a Sigma Chi, he was interested in joining Phi Delta Theta after learning of the fraternity's standing amongst sororities. Ray joined a pledge class of 16 members, including three he maintains contact with today. Ray fondly recalls a snowball fight against the Betas one winter day, to the dismay of housemother Mrs. Henderson. When a Beta later shattered a house window with another snowball, the chaos continued. Other mischief included planting corn in Beta's fresh grass seed and letting loose a bag full of bats before one of their parties. "I had to work my way through college and could not afford to live in the house," Ray said. During senior year, he became Missouri Alpha's treasurer, which covered his live-in fees. "The rubbing of elbows with a sophisticated group smoothed many of my rough edges, which paid off handsomely through time." Career Ventures After earning degrees from Mizzou, Ray served the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence officer before leading a distinguished career in geology and energy exploration. He worked in several leadership positions with Shell for 17 years, including an assignment as chief geologist. Ray went on to become vice president of exploration with McCormick Oil and Gas. Ray founded Spectrum Oil and Gas in 1980, though the company's eventual demise led to his work as president of Ponderay Oil and Gas. Following his relocation to Denver, Ray continues to own and operate Thomasson Partner Associates. During his undergraduate years, Ray joined the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and has remained active in the organization throughout his career, eventually serving as its president. Among other honors, AAPG recognized Ray with the highest award for service to the organization. He also served as president of the American Geosciences Institute, the umbrella Institute for 49 different geoscience organizations. The AAPG Foundation established a grant honoring Ray, to be awarded to one Mizzou and one Wisconsin graduate student per year. Promoting the Next Generation Ray's career success beyond college, including a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Missouri, can be traced back to his formative years as a Phi Delt. To show appreciation for the fraternity's impact, he chose to support Missouri Alpha's scholarship endowment campaign. "I couldn't afford to live in the fraternity," Ray added. "I hope this can help some young Phi Delts with their costs and give them the same kind of experience that I had." Ray enjoys spending time with his wife, four daughters, and four grandchildren. The Thomassons have a second home in North Carolina where Ray can often be found gardening and basking in his view of the Smoky Mountains. You can connect with Ray at raythomasson@aol.com. Baylor Adamovsky | Wildwood, Mo. Bruno Bergoudian | Chesterfield, Mo. Kyle Brown | Manchester, Mo. Jack Carroll | Chesterfield, Mo. Braden Cravens | Springfield, Mo. Ryan Davis | Lamar, Mo. Evan Guterman | Manchester, Mo. Matthew Hettenhausen | O'Fallon, Ill. Tyler Holder | Zurich, Ill. Ryan Mason | Cary, Ill. Zach Mazek | Cary, Ill. Hilton Newell | Springfield, Mo. Jack Ode | Des Moines, Iowa Aidan Stillman | Ballwin, Mo. Jack Tredway | O'Fallon, Ill. Julian Trentman | Smithton, Ill. Jace Tryon | Manchester, Mo. Evan Weber | O'Fallon, Ill. Brock Wormley | Elgin, Ill. Justin Zbinovec | Carol Stream, Ill. Tanner Zeloski | Manchester, Mo. Spring 2024 New Members! Spring 2024 New Members! PROVIDING FOR TODAY'S PHI DELTS Dr. M. Ray Thomasson '52 on Personal Development, Scholarship Support "I attribute the development of my early social skills to being a Phi Delt."

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