The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) is recognizing oil pioneer and UT Austin alumnus Autry C. Stephens as the university names its new engineering discovery building in his honor. Stephens, who passed in August 2024, earned his bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the university in 1961. He worked at Humble Oil and the US Army Corp of Engineers before founding Endeavor Energy Resources. Endeavor was later acquired by Diamondback Energy in 2024.
Stephens joined SPE in 1959 and was a member of the SPE Permian Basin Section.
The 210,000-ft2 Autry C. Stephens Engineering Discovery Building is set to open in 2026 and will become the new home of the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering.
“This is a transformational moment for Texas Engineering,” said Roger Bonnecaze, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering. “The Autry C. Stephens Engineering Discovery Building ensures we have facilities that match the world-class talent of our faculty and students.”