Founding of the DWLS in 1956

By Barbara J. Kleinschnitz

In the late summer of 1956, the Denver Well Logging Society was formed by a few Denver-area log analysts. The objective was to get to know each other socially and exchange technical ideas on well logging.

The first members and founding fathers included the following:

Don Davis - In 1956 Don was with Schlumberger Well Services. Later he became a professor at Colorado School of Mines and also headed his own consulting company, Technical Log Analysts of Lakewood. He wrote letters of invitation to a no-host luncheon to explore the formation of a logging society. He was the first chairman and drafted the first set of by-laws for the organization.

Jack Flynn - then with Sinclair Oil and Gas in Denver, later with Dresser-Atlas in Texas.

Bob Colby - then with Sinclair Oil and Gas in Denver, later with Cities Service.

Fred Miles - then with Gulf Oil. Fred was the first president of the DWLS.

Bill Pugh - then with Lane-Wells, later president of his own company, Monaco Engineering Inc., in Denver.

There were about twenty other individuals involved with the original DWLS organization.

About four years after DWLS was established, it joined the newly formed SPWLA. The Bylaws had to be rewritten to comply. Elza Sanders and Rex Curtis were greatly instrumental in this work. Elza was with Carter Oil at that time and Rex was with Schlumberger.