Fred Schroeder

Fred Schroeder:  Life in Remembrance Dr. Frederick William Schroeder passed on Monday, February 17, 2020 in Tomball, Texas at the age of 69. He was born in Levittown, New York on September 17, 1950. Even as a young boy, Fred’s interests were rooted in science and math. He graduated Cum Laude from Lehigh University, in 1972. An elective in oceanography propelled him towards marine geology with an emphasis in plate tectonics. Fred furthered his education at Columbia University, earning both his master’s and PhD in Marine Geology. While attending Lehigh, Fred was introduced to Lois by mutual friends, and they were married on June 23, 1973. Upon receiving his doctorate in 1977, Fred and Lois moved across the country from New York to Houston where Fred began his employment at ExxonMobil, which spanned 32 years. During his tenure at ExxonMobil, Fred made numerous impacts in petroleum exploration, especially in seismic stratigraphy and basin modeling. As one of the earliest researchers to use artificial intelligence, Fred played an integral role in developing a series of ‘Best Practices’ that optimized seismic acquisition and interpretation specifications for 3D seismic surveys. Fred was also selected for two key short-term project assignments abroad with his growing family: London, Great Britain (1981) and Stavanger, Norway (1990). Fred’s passion for teaching and mentoring began at ExxonMobil, where he trained and mentored hundreds of geophysical interpreters, personally developing training material and short courses. Fred launched a major volunteer initiative through AAPG’s Visiting Geoscientist Program (VGP), designed to introduce graduate students to a geoscientist’s role in the petroleum industry. He earned the title “Super Visitor,” making the most campus visits for several consecutive years. After retiring from ExxonMobil, Fred continued teaching courses for AAPG and had teaching engagements with Nautilus and Texas A&M.  He was on staff with Nobel Energy for several years and served on the IRIS Education and Public Outreach Council. In 2018, he pioneered “virtual campus visits” by providing webinars reaching over 1,000 students. Fred was the recipient of the Jim Hartman Service to Students Award from APPG in 2019, and he will receive the Harrison Schmitt Award in June 2020. In total, Fred visited 102 campuses, amassing direct contact with 3,135 students and 277 faculty members. Fred’s pursuit of excellence in his professional life was driven by his passionate love and dedication to Jesus Christ.  He was an active member at Champion Forest Baptist Church for 35 years, where he served God by teaching adult and children’s Sunday School, Precept Bible studies, and served as a deacon. It was important to Fred to lead by example and give back to the community, which he did through prison ministry, prayer room ministry, Game Day, judging local science fairs, etc. Fred served as a precinct chair in the Republican Party, assisted with voting polls, and was nominated as a state delegate to the Republican convention.  Fred and Lois spent many hours being advocates for pro-life, locally and at the state level. Fred’s favorite hobby was traveling, where he would plan upcoming trips down to the last detail. Fred and Lois were married for 47 years. Their daughter Tara resides in Pearland and their son David—along with his wife Rebekah, grandson Ephraim, and granddaughter Pearl—lives in Fort Worth. In memoriam, with gratitude from the family, donations can be made to Institute for Creation Research or AAPG (American Association of Petroleum Geologists) in Fred’s name. We are grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from all who knew Fred personally. Thank you very much.  - The Schroeder Family