Michel T. Halbouty, Class of 1930 and world-renowned oilman, would have wanted more than anything in the world for people to think that he was the first person to talk former President George H.W. Bush into having his presidential library at Texas A&M.
“I know that the president made the final decision (about the library),” said Robert Walker, vice president for development at A&M and friend of Halbouty’s, in his speech at Halbouty’s funeral, “(but) Mike would like you to think that he made it.”
Hundreds of friends, family and colleagues of Halbouty gathered, including Rep. Joe Barton, Class of 1972, and former President George H.W. Bush to celebrate his life Thursday afternoon at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston.
After the funeral, Bush said Halbouty came to the White House as A&M’s strongest advocate.
“Michel Halbouty was a great and loyal Aggie,” Bush said. “Certainly, he had a key role in the decision to put my Presidential Library at Texas A&M.”
Mark Kelly, Halbouty’s oldest grandson, said Halbouty loved A&M and attending A&M football games.
“It was quite a treat when I was young to jump in the Leer jet and fly the 22 minutes to College Station to attend the games – I think in a small way he was trying to enhance my dating prospects,” Kelly said.
Kelly said Halbouty watched the Nov. 6 football game between A&M and Oklahoma University from his hospital bed just before he died.
“I have a slight suspicion that he finally decided that watching (the game) from a hospital bed was just not getting it done, and so he chose to attend the game from above,” Kelly said.
Walker said he remembers getting midnight calls from around the world – Rome, London, Tokyo, Switzerland – from Halbouty.
“‘Bob, this is Mike – how’d the Aggies do?” Walker said.
Walker said Halbouty started donating his possessions to A&M in the weeks before he died.
“(Halbouty) said, ‘(I have a) table, handmade, with eight chairs – can you use them at A&M?'” Walker said.
Barton said Halbouty not only contributed to A&M and the oil industry, but also to politics.
“I got picked to be a White House fellow (in 1981) because I was an Aggie,” Barton said.
Barton said Halbouty eventually helped him win a spot in the U.S. Congress.
“On (Halbouty’s) name alone I raised about $250,000 (for campaigning), but I had to make the call,” Barton said.
Charles Sternbach, who is on the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Convention Coordinating Committee, said that every geologist knows Halbouty, either personally, through his papers or thousands of oil wells.
“(I know that Mike is in heaven with) St. Peter and all the maps of the undiscovered oil … of the world,” Sternbach said. “Please send your friends down here a clue.”