For folks in the seismic world, L. Decker Dawson could be called Mr. Geophysical. This Tulsa native started in the industry in 1941 when he was offered a job on a seismic crew after graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in civil engineering. At the time, the country was still in the Great Depression, and he was one of only three OSU engineering grads fortunate enough to get a job that year.

He soon found he was fascinated by the seismic industry and the search for oil and gas. So much so that, in 1952, he took the plunge and founded Dawson Geophysical Co., with one seismic crew. Today, Dawson Geophysical is the largest land seismic company in the continental U.S. and employs more than 1,000 people. With 12 crews fully deployed and more than 120,000 recording channels, Dawson Geophysical is operating in every major basin throughout the Lower 48.

Dawson served as president until being elected chairman of the board and chief executive officer in January 2001. In January 2006, he was reelected chairman, but stepped down as CEO.

He has always been active in industry groups. Dawson was president of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists in 1989-1990, received its Enterprise Award in 1997, and was awarded honorary membership in 2002. He was chairman of the board of the International Association of Geophysical Contractors in 1981 and is an honorary life member of that association. In Midland, he was inducted into the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum's Hall of Fame in 1997.

Oil and Gas Investor spoke with Dawson recently about the start-up of his business, life in Midland, and the changes in seismic technology.

Investor: In 1941 you got your first job on a seismic crew.

Dawson: Yes, I was an instant doodlebugger and I never turned back. I absolutely loved it. We worked mostly in Oklahoma and Texas. Then the war came and the Navy got me for awhile. My original employer was Magnolia Petroleum Co. (now part of ExxonMobil). After the war, in 1946 I got on with a new little seismic company in Tulsa called Republic Exploration Co. I started as a crew chief and later became a supervisor. We had crews scattered over Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico.

On the first day of January 1950, they moved me to Midland. That was the best day of my life.

Investor: Why is that?

Dawson: I just loved it, and also, because I met my dear wife there. There was so much enthusiasm in Midland then and it was a real melting pot. People were moving there from all over, all my age. The war had ended and people were just flocking to Midland because there was an oil boom going on. They made me a supervisor.

Investor: And today the Permian Basin is booming again.

Dawson: Yes. We have enjoyed all the booms and endured the busts along the way.

Investor: Why did you go out on your own?

Dawson: I got a call from a good client one day asking me if Republic could add a crew for them, but Tulsa was so busy, they said they couldn't possibly. Then I asked the client if they'd consider using me, if I were to start my own crew. They said yes. It wasn't easy, and I had to do it in a hurry, but within 30 days we were out in the field shooting. We helped that client find a lot of oil, which didn't hurt us a bit.

Investor: What were the challenges in starting up back then?

Dawson: I knew geophysics but I had zero business experience. One of my friends was a CPA who helped me get set up, and my wife, who had bookkeeping and office experience, was an extraordinary help. That gave me the freedom to devote my time to geophysics. Of course when I look back on it, it was pretty simple back then, compared to what we do now.

Investor: Which has been the greater advance, the advent of 3-D, or digital technology?

Dawson: Digital has made the biggest difference. We used to have these long paper seismic records and do the processing with paper and pencil, until the computer came along. We got into processing as quickly as we could. We have data-processing centers in Midland, Houston and Oklahoma City.

Investor: And you follow the wildcatters.

Dawson: We've come from using seismic for exploration all the way to development. We're in every basin now in the U.S., but we're landlubbers. We are up in the Bakken and Back East in the Marcellus, and lately we are in South Texas in the Eagle Ford shale.

Investor: But do you do any spec shoots?

Dawson: No, we've never done spec work, except for a person who is a speculator. We don't want to own our own data, as it seems to put us in competition with ourselves.

Investor: What advice would you give young people?

Dawson: The best advice I learned was in Sunday school. Just do things right and be honest and aboveboard. Don't cut corners. You have to love what you are doing, and I understand that's not easy for some folks. Luckily I got into something that fascinates me. I still come to the office every day. I love all these people and they tolerate me.