Bert J. Rosson ’54
- 2021 Hall of Fame Honoree
Bert Rosson enrolled in OMA as a junior in high school in 1950 and graduated from high school in 1952. He continued his education at OMA and graduated from Junior College in 1954. While attending OMA, he earned the rank of Battalion Commander and completed all requirements of the ROTC program to earn a commission in the Army upon graduation from college.
Rosson continued his education by enrolling at the University of Oklahoma in the fall of 1954 and graduated in the spring of 1957 with a degree in Marketing. He worked his way through the University of Oklahoma as a roughneck for Noble Drilling Company. During those two summers, he obtained knowledge and learned many of the basic skills of drilling and producing oil and gas wells.
After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, the Department of the Army notified Rosson to report for active duty for two years. Before reporting for active duty, he received new orders to report to Fort Knox, Kentucky for six months of active duty and eight years in the Army Reserve. He served in the Reserve for 11 years before resigning his commission as a Captain.
Rosson was employed by Skelly Oil Company in 1960 as a Landman in Midland, Texas and later transferred to Houston, Texas. In 1967, Skelly Oil Company promoted him to be the District Landman in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1969, he resigned from Skelly Oil Company to form an association with Dee Layman, a geologist, to assemble drilling prospects in the name of Rosson and Layman. That association drilled many wells until December, 1994, when Dee Layman decided to retire. Rosson later formed Rosson Exploration Company in 1995 and continues to assemble drilling deals until the present time.
Rosson married Jane Neilson in 1957 and had two wonderful daughters, Cynthia Margaret Rosson and Julie Ann Rosson. Cynthia provided him with a wonderful granddaughter, Paige, and Julie provided him with a wonderful grandson, Taylor. Unfortunately, Julie died on September 2, 2014.
Rosson was divorced and later, in 1972, married Lane Spell. Their wonderful son, Bert J. Rosson, Jr., was born in 1979.
“The best decision I ever made was to attend OMA. OMA taught me honesty, integrity and leadership skills,” said Rosson.