[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 30 (Thursday, February 13, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1150-H1151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING DR. STEPHEN A. HOLDITCH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Flores) for 30 minutes.
  (Mr. FLORES asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. FLORES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Stephen A. 
Holditch of College Station, Texas, who passed away unexpectedly on 
August 9, 2019.
  Before I continue our discussion about Steve, I want to give some 
context about the importance of his professional career.
  Let me state, first, that Steve considered his roles as a husband, a 
father, and a grandfather to be his most important. Because of the 
exceptional way that he lived those roles, his legacy is readily 
apparent in the lives of those he left behind--his wife, Ann; his 
daughters, Katie and Abbie; and their five grandchildren.
  The discussion of his professional accomplishments starts with a 
description of current energy metrics.
  Today, the United States of America is blessed to be the number one 
producer of oil and gas in the world. As of this year, we are a net 
exporter of oil and natural gas. Reserves of American oil and natural 
gas rank us among the top 10 countries in the world. We also lead the 
industrialized world in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions over 
the last two decades.

                              {time}  1245

  Ten years ago, no one would have ever predicted that we would be 
where we are today.
  This new world of American energy dominance is having dramatic 
implications, both domestically and internationally. We have secure, 
stable, environmentally responsible, and attractively-priced energy 
sources for American families and businesses. We have become a reliable 
source of energy for our allies, giving them flexibility to move away 
from unstable Russian and Middle Eastern energy suppliers.
  The oil and gas sector of our economy has created millions of good 
jobs and great paychecks for hardworking Americans. Our balance of 
trade payments has improved, and our geopolitical position has 
strengthened.
  This dramatic energy renaissance didn't happen by accident or because 
of government. It is because of the result of American ingenuity, 
research, and bold leadership. While no one person is solely 
responsible for this seismic shift in American energy, there are a 
number of bold leaders who took these challenges that looked impossible 
to solve and then solved them; particularly in the area of stimulation 
of low permeability, or ``tight'' reservoirs. Their developments, 
studies, research, and field experiments using horizontal drilling and 
very large hydraulic fracturing treatments revolutionized American oil 
and natural gas and transformed our economy and our security.
  One of those bold leaders was the late George P. Mitchell, Texas A&M 
Class of 1940. Another is the person that we are honoring today, Dr. 
Stephen A. Holditch, Texas A&M Class of 1969.
  Stephen Holditch was born on October 20, 1946, in Corsicana, Texas, 
to Damon and Margie Holditch. Growing up, Steve and his family moved 
often while his father pursued a career in the oil and gas industry. He 
spent most of his childhood in San Antonio before moving to Richardson, 
Texas for his final year of high school, where he graduated in 1965.
  Following graduation, Steve attended Texas A&M University, where he 
joined the Corps of Cadets and began his journey as a Fighting Texas 
Aggie. Steve quickly excelled, both in academics and in the Corps of 
Cadets. While at A&M, he was a member of Company F-1, a member of the 
prestigious Ross Volunteers Honor Guard, and a member of the Ross 
Volunteers Firing Squad. During his senior year, he served as Second 
Battalion Commander.

[[Page H1151]]

  In 1969, Steve graduated from A&M with a bachelor of science degree 
in petroleum engineering. He continued at A&M to earn a master's degree 
in the same discipline.
  Steve began his career with Shell Oil Company in Houston, Texas. Much 
of his work over his 5 years at Shell was focused on designing and 
pumping large hydraulic fracture treatments to stimulate production 
from the deep, low permeability, geopressured gas reservoirs in South 
Texas.
  It was his work with hydraulic fracturing that inspired him to return 
to Texas A&M and that set him apart from his peers as a true legend in 
the oil and gas industry for the advancement of this critically 
important technology.
  One day in 1970, Steve was riding the elevator at work and met Ann 
Friddle, who was also working at Shell. Steve and Ann were married 6 
months later, on January 9, 1971, and they had been married for over 48 
years when he passed away.
  He and Ann returned to College Station, and he pursued a Ph.D. in 
petroleum engineering, which he completed in 1975. In 1976, Steve 
joined the Texas A&M petroleum engineering faculty and, as if he didn't 
have enough to do as a young father and as a new professor, he started 
his own consulting company, S.A. Holditch & Associates.
  S.A. Holditch & Associates quickly became a worldwide powerhouse in 
the petroleum engineering space. Over the years, Steve earned a 
reputation for being able to solve the most difficult petroleum 
engineering problems, especially those dealing with low permeability 
reservoirs needing stimulation, typically through hydraulic fracturing.
  He was distinctly proud of the work Holditch & Associates did 
alongside the Gas Research Institute to advance understanding of low 
permeability sandstones, shales, and coalbed methane.
  After over 20 years of success, Steve chose to sell Holditch & 
Associates to Schlumberger, where he stayed on as a fellow, the highest 
technical designation in that organization. As a Schlumberger fellow 
for 5 years, Steve traveled extensively to help solve some of the 
world's most difficult petroleum engineering problems.
  In 1995, at age 49, Steve was elected to the National Academy of 
Engineering, the highest honor that can be given to an engineer. After 
many years of service to the Society of Petroleum Engineers, or the 
SPE, Steve was elected to the board of directors, then vice president 
of finance, and finally president of this global organization with over 
70,000 members.
  He was awarded almost every recognition that SPE has to give, 
including three of the society's top awards. He was elected as an SPE 
honorary member in 2006, the highest award that SPE can bestow upon an 
individual and was officially named a Legend of Hydraulic Fracturing by 
SPE in 2014.
  While Steve enjoyed many professional successes in the commercial 
regime, many of his greatest accomplishments were at Texas A&M 
University, where he served on the faculty for 37 years. During his 
tenure, he taught 97 courses and served on over 150 graduate 
committees.
  From 2004-2012, Steve worked as head of the Harold Vance Department 
of Petroleum Engineering. During this time, he revitalized the Crisman 
Institute for Petroleum Research, and saw the number of students in the 
petroleum engineering department more than double. Under his 
leadership, the department quickly earned a reputation as the number 
one ranked university petroleum engineering department in the world.
  It was during his time at Texas A&M that he created his second legacy 
for America's hydrocarbon industry; the thousands of Aggie petroleum 
engineers who work around the world every day utilizing Steve's 
teaching and mentoring to solve the world's greatest energy challenges. 
Their work, alongside the work of other industry legends, like George 
P. Mitchell and Michel T. Halbouty, along with Stephen Holditch, have 
contributed significantly to America's energy dominance that is 
changing the world today.

  In 2013, Steve retired from the faculty after many years of dedicated 
service to the Texas A&M community. Throughout his life, Steve often 
credited Texas A&M University as the foundation from which his success 
grew. He praised the values instilled in all Aggies and, in 2014, was 
named a Texas A&M Distinguished Alumnus, an honor he richly deserved 
for a life of service and devotion to his beloved university.
  In thanking the Aggie community, Steve said: ``You will look back at 
your years at Texas A&M as one of the best periods in your life. Always 
remember the Aggie Code of Honor.''
  In 2016, Steve was inducted into the Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor, 
an award which made him prouder and happier than perhaps any award he 
had received in his life.
  While in retirement, Steve enjoyed spending time in Bryan-College 
Station with his wife, Ann, their two daughters, and their five 
grandchildren. As a season ticket holder to a variety of Texas A&M 
sports, Steve continued to support the Aggies, but Fighting Texas Aggie 
football remained closest to his heart.
  Steve contributed a great deal to the Texas A&M community, and can be 
described as a model Texas Aggie, who was true to his core values of 
excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless 
service. One of my favorite phrases that Steve often used was: ``I 
reserve the right to get smarter.'' That is what he did best, always 
pushing to find solutions to the world's toughest oil and gas 
challenges.
  Madam Speaker, Steve's life was defined by his dedication to his 
family and his friends, his world-changing accomplishments in energy, 
and his true love of Texas A&M University. He will be forever 
remembered as a true pioneer in his field, a devoted husband, a father, 
a grandfather, a teacher, a mentor, and a friend.
  My father has a saying: ``Go make a hand.''
  Madam Speaker, Steve Holditch truly ``made a hand'' for his family, 
his university, his community, our country, and our world.
  My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to 
the Holditch family. We also lift up the family and friends of Steve 
Holditch in our prayers.
  I have requested that the United States flag be flown over our 
Nation's Capitol to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Stephen A. 
Holditch.
  As I close, I would ask all Americans to continue praying for our 
country during these difficult times, for our military men and women 
who protect us from threats abroad, and for our first responders who 
keep us safe here at home.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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