View the short Did You Know video from AIME President-Elect Designate Jennifer Miskimins.

As the petroleum industry gained momentum in the 20s, AIME provided an organization where the engineering of the recovery of petroleum and natural gas could be developed. A notable pioneer in petroleum engineering was Anthony Lucas. His advanced knowledge and understanding of petroleum reservoirs helped advance engineering principles in the industry. Under his leadership and that of other distinguished engineers, such as Everette DeGolyer and Ralph Arnold, the vision to incorporate petroleum into AIME was established. They aimed to develop an organization within AIME where petroleum engineering technology could grow. This resulted in the expansion of the Oil and Gas Committee into the Petroleum Division of AIME in 1922.

For more details, visit the SPE Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal page.    

As the industry boomed, the growing need to provide additional services to petroleum members of AIME established a Petroleum Division office in Dallas, Texas, under William H. Strang in 1946. Strang’s mission was to increase services to petroleum members. Following Strang’s leadership, a "Plan for the Expansion of Petroleum Technology" was submitted to the AIME -Board of Directors in 1947. This Petroleum Division Plan led to establishing the Institute's Johnson Committee, which formed the three branches of AIME in 1948. Advocacy for a more effective Institute structure created the semi-autonomous Society of Petroleum Engineers in 1957, and the now separately incorporated SPE in 1985. SPE has grown from a committee and a vision into an independent, nonprofit global society of more than 153,000 members across 143 countries.

For more details, visit the SPE DeGolyer Distinguished Service Medal page.