`Wichita Eagle, The (KS) - August 25, 1990
Deceased Name: LOVE OF OIL INDUSTRY FRAMED GEORGE BRUCE'S LIFE
One of the industry's commanding generals will be missing from the ranks of Kansas oilmen when they assemble for their 53rd annual meeting on Sunday.
George Bruce, who focused his life's work on probing the mysteries of oil exploration, died Friday. He had been hospitalized for treatment of cancer. He was 89.
Donald Schnacke, executive vice president of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association, said KIOGA members knew Mr. Bruce as a man "everybody could turn to . . . who never quit thinking of the well-being of the oil and gas industry."
Mr. Bruce helped form the association in 1938, served on the board of directors the following year and was its president in 1953-54.
''There's no real secret to success," Mr. Bruce once said. "A person simply has to work at it, and if you work at it, you're going to develop some new avenues that lead to success."
Mr. Bruce achieved his share of success. Besides extensive oil production in Kansas and elsewhere in the United States, his company Alladin Petroleum Corp. has affiliate drilling operations in Turkey and Australia.
For the past decade, his hope was to have an off-shore drilling operation in the Caribbean.
''He had two licenses, one for 5 million acres off Antigua-Barbuda and another east of there for 318,000 acres off the Netherlands Antilles," said his grandson, George Bruce of Wichita. ''Our hope was that we could have drilled one for him by now."
Mr. Bruce fell in love with the oil industry as a youngster traveling with his father, a judge in western Colorado who invested in the oil business. In 1912, when he was not quite 12, he was fascinated that a geologist his father hired was paid $250 a day.
''That convinced him then and there to get into the oil business," his grandson said.
Mr. Bruce earned a degree in economics from Stanford University, but it was his early geology and engineering courses at Colorado College that turned him toward geology in the El Dorado oil patch in the 1920s.
''A unique man, he had a lot of insight into geology. He always thought things out and came up with ideas," said John Knightley, board chairman of D.R. Lauck Oil Co.
Mr. Bruce was one of the first to study underground formations in exploring for oil. From his study, he helped organize the Kansas Geological Society and managed its library, the Kansas Well Log Bureau.
Until he was hospitalized, he would go to his offices in the Petroleum Building six days a week.
''That's what kept him alive," his grandson said. He said his grandfather outlived three wives and would have been dead earlier if he had retired. "The oil business, that was his mistress."
He is survived by a son, Robert of Wichita, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Broadway Mortuary is in charge.
Deceased Name: LOVE OF OIL INDUSTRY FRAMED GEORGE BRUCE'S LIFE
One of the industry's commanding generals will be missing from the ranks of Kansas oilmen when they assemble for their 53rd annual meeting on Sunday.
George Bruce, who focused his life's work on probing the mysteries of oil exploration, died Friday. He had been hospitalized for treatment of cancer. He was 89.
Donald Schnacke, executive vice president of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association, said KIOGA members knew Mr. Bruce as a man "everybody could turn to . . . who never quit thinking of the well-being of the oil and gas industry."
Mr. Bruce helped form the association in 1938, served on the board of directors the following year and was its president in 1953-54.
''There's no real secret to success," Mr. Bruce once said. "A person simply has to work at it, and if you work at it, you're going to develop some new avenues that lead to success."
Mr. Bruce achieved his share of success. Besides extensive oil production in Kansas and elsewhere in the United States, his company Alladin Petroleum Corp. has affiliate drilling operations in Turkey and Australia.
For the past decade, his hope was to have an off-shore drilling operation in the Caribbean.
''He had two licenses, one for 5 million acres off Antigua-Barbuda and another east of there for 318,000 acres off the Netherlands Antilles," said his grandson, George Bruce of Wichita. ''Our hope was that we could have drilled one for him by now."
Mr. Bruce fell in love with the oil industry as a youngster traveling with his father, a judge in western Colorado who invested in the oil business. In 1912, when he was not quite 12, he was fascinated that a geologist his father hired was paid $250 a day.
''That convinced him then and there to get into the oil business," his grandson said.
Mr. Bruce earned a degree in economics from Stanford University, but it was his early geology and engineering courses at Colorado College that turned him toward geology in the El Dorado oil patch in the 1920s.
''A unique man, he had a lot of insight into geology. He always thought things out and came up with ideas," said John Knightley, board chairman of D.R. Lauck Oil Co.
Mr. Bruce was one of the first to study underground formations in exploring for oil. From his study, he helped organize the Kansas Geological Society and managed its library, the Kansas Well Log Bureau.
Until he was hospitalized, he would go to his offices in the Petroleum Building six days a week.
''That's what kept him alive," his grandson said. He said his grandfather outlived three wives and would have been dead earlier if he had retired. "The oil business, that was his mistress."
He is survived by a son, Robert of Wichita, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Broadway Mortuary is in charge.
`Wichita Eagle, The (KS) - August 25, 1990
Deceased Name: LOVE OF OIL INDUSTRY FRAMED GEORGE BRUCE'S LIFE
One of the industry's commanding generals will be missing from the ranks of Kansas oilmen when they assemble for their 53rd annual meeting on Sunday.
George Bruce, who focused his life's work on probing the mysteries of oil exploration, died Friday. He had been hospitalized for treatment of cancer. He was 89.
Donald Schnacke, executive vice president of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association, said KIOGA members knew Mr. Bruce as a man "everybody could turn to . . . who never quit thinking of the well-being of the oil and gas industry."
Mr. Bruce helped form the association in 1938, served on the board of directors the following year and was its president in 1953-54.
''There's no real secret to success," Mr. Bruce once said. "A person simply has to work at it, and if you work at it, you're going to develop some new avenues that lead to success."
Mr. Bruce achieved his share of success. Besides extensive oil production in Kansas and elsewhere in the United States, his company Alladin Petroleum Corp. has affiliate drilling operations in Turkey and Australia.
For the past decade, his hope was to have an off-shore drilling operation in the Caribbean.
''He had two licenses, one for 5 million acres off Antigua-Barbuda and another east of there for 318,000 acres off the Netherlands Antilles," said his grandson, George Bruce of Wichita. ''Our hope was that we could have drilled one for him by now."
Mr. Bruce fell in love with the oil industry as a youngster traveling with his father, a judge in western Colorado who invested in the oil business. In 1912, when he was not quite 12, he was fascinated that a geologist his father hired was paid $250 a day.
''That convinced him then and there to get into the oil business," his grandson said.
Mr. Bruce earned a degree in economics from Stanford University, but it was his early geology and engineering courses at Colorado College that turned him toward geology in the El Dorado oil patch in the 1920s.
''A unique man, he had a lot of insight into geology. He always thought things out and came up with ideas," said John Knightley, board chairman of D.R. Lauck Oil Co.
Mr. Bruce was one of the first to study underground formations in exploring for oil. From his study, he helped organize the Kansas Geological Society and managed its library, the Kansas Well Log Bureau.
Until he was hospitalized, he would go to his offices in the Petroleum Building six days a week.
''That's what kept him alive," his grandson said. He said his grandfather outlived three wives and would have been dead earlier if he had retired. "The oil business, that was his mistress."
He is survived by a son, Robert of Wichita, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Broadway Mortuary is in charge.
Deceased Name: LOVE OF OIL INDUSTRY FRAMED GEORGE BRUCE'S LIFE
One of the industry's commanding generals will be missing from the ranks of Kansas oilmen when they assemble for their 53rd annual meeting on Sunday.
George Bruce, who focused his life's work on probing the mysteries of oil exploration, died Friday. He had been hospitalized for treatment of cancer. He was 89.
Donald Schnacke, executive vice president of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association, said KIOGA members knew Mr. Bruce as a man "everybody could turn to . . . who never quit thinking of the well-being of the oil and gas industry."
Mr. Bruce helped form the association in 1938, served on the board of directors the following year and was its president in 1953-54.
''There's no real secret to success," Mr. Bruce once said. "A person simply has to work at it, and if you work at it, you're going to develop some new avenues that lead to success."
Mr. Bruce achieved his share of success. Besides extensive oil production in Kansas and elsewhere in the United States, his company Alladin Petroleum Corp. has affiliate drilling operations in Turkey and Australia.
For the past decade, his hope was to have an off-shore drilling operation in the Caribbean.
''He had two licenses, one for 5 million acres off Antigua-Barbuda and another east of there for 318,000 acres off the Netherlands Antilles," said his grandson, George Bruce of Wichita. ''Our hope was that we could have drilled one for him by now."
Mr. Bruce fell in love with the oil industry as a youngster traveling with his father, a judge in western Colorado who invested in the oil business. In 1912, when he was not quite 12, he was fascinated that a geologist his father hired was paid $250 a day.
''That convinced him then and there to get into the oil business," his grandson said.
Mr. Bruce earned a degree in economics from Stanford University, but it was his early geology and engineering courses at Colorado College that turned him toward geology in the El Dorado oil patch in the 1920s.
''A unique man, he had a lot of insight into geology. He always thought things out and came up with ideas," said John Knightley, board chairman of D.R. Lauck Oil Co.
Mr. Bruce was one of the first to study underground formations in exploring for oil. From his study, he helped organize the Kansas Geological Society and managed its library, the Kansas Well Log Bureau.
Until he was hospitalized, he would go to his offices in the Petroleum Building six days a week.
''That's what kept him alive," his grandson said. He said his grandfather outlived three wives and would have been dead earlier if he had retired. "The oil business, that was his mistress."
He is survived by a son, Robert of Wichita, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Broadway Mortuary is in charge.
