Ralph Tillman Ferrell, Ph.D. (1958)
Engineer / Chemist / Manufacturer
Class of 1958 | Inducted 1984
-
Graduated from Blooming Grove High School in 1955.
-
Following a brief stint as an employee of Bethlehem Steel Co., Ralph completed the pre-engineering curriculum at Navarro College in 1958, where he received scholastic awards for math and chemistry.
-
He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, academically in the top 1% of his class, at the University of Texas at Austin in 1961.
-
With the support and encouragement of his bride, the former Reba Daniel, Ralph completed the requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering in 1966.
-
Ferrell began his career in the chemical industry with Conoco Research and Development where he obtained patents in the production of detergents and alumina for catalytic mufflers.
-
In 1974 he switched career focus to manufacturing. He managed chemical plants in Oklahoma and Maryland before assuming management of Conoco's Louisiana wide operations.
-
In 1984 he joined the newly formed Vista Chemical, a Fortune 500 company, as Vice President of Manufacturing. At Vista he rose to the position of Senior Vice President of Corporate Development with responsibility for engineering, research, and strategic planning.
-
Post retirement, Reba and Ralph relocated to Plano, TX to be near close relatives, especially their daughter and her family.
-
The Ferrells believe in philanthropy having provided support to all of their educational systems, neurological research and abused children. They are avid travelers having traveled to all seven continents and more than 100 countries.