Governance

Albert C. Rubel was born in Louisville, KY., in 1895. After graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in Mining Engineering and Metallurgy in 1917, he served with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in France. Mr. Rubel joined Union Oil Co. of California in 1923, where he was successively a field geologist, Chief Petroleum Engineer, Assistant Manager of Field Operations, and Director of Production. In 1938, he was elected a Director of the company and, in 1939, Vice President in charge of Exploration and Production. In 1956, just twenty-two years after joining Union Oil of California, Mr. Rubel was elected the seventh president of the 68-year old company. Mr. Rubel became a Member of AIME in 1939. He organized and served as the first chairman of the Pacific Coast Division of the Petroleum Branch. In industry and community activities, he has served as Vice- Chairman of the Military Petroleum Advisory Board, Director of AIME and of the American Petroleum Institute, and President of the Petroleum Club of Los Angeles. In addition, he is a Director of the Northrop Corporation, a Trustee of Occidental College at Los Angeles, Director of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and Director of the California Merchants and Manufacturers Association. Mr. Rubel has been particularly active in promoting research in many phases of the oil industry, including his company's multi-million dollar oil shale experimental mining and retorting project near Grand Valley, Colorado, and its participation in devising a revolutionary new method for offshore drilling in unlimited water depths. He is the author of numerous technical and general papers on the oil industry.