Steve Chesebro’ ’64
PE Hall of Fame Class of 2022
Steve Chesebro’ helped found the Natural Gas Council, its Reliability Council and the Gas Industry Standards Board, where he served as chairman for three years.
Chesebro’ graduated from Mines in 1964 with a professional degree in petroleum engineering. He was quarterback on the Orediggers football team, an all-conference baseball player and a member of the golf team.
He started his career at Tenneco Energy after graduation and served for 32 years until he retired as chairman and CEO in 1996. He was instrumental in growing Tenneco to a $4 billion global energy company with 3,000 employees. In 1998, he managed one of the energy industry’s largest divestitures with the $7.5 billion sale of the company and various units. Chesebro’ signed on as president and CEO of PennzEnergy from 1998 through 1999. He has been board chairman of Harvest Natural Resources since 2001.
Chesebro’ is a longtime Mines volunteer, serving on many committees, the university’s Board of Trustees and, since 2009, the Mines Foundation’s Board of Governors. He co-chaired the $125 million Transforming Resources fundraising campaign.
In 1998, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Mines. He and his wife Dollie endowed chair and faculty development fund in the petroleum engineering department, as well as funds in athletics.
Professional Societies
- Founding Member, Natural Gas Council and Reliability Council
- Founding Member and Chairman, Gas Industry Standards Board
- Executive Committee, American Petroleum Institute
- Executive Committee, American Gas Association
- Executive Committee, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
- Executive Committee, Mid Continent Oil and Gas Association
- Executive Committee, Independent Petroleum Association of America
Awards
- Distinguished Achievement Medal, Colorado School of Mines
- Tourmaline Award with his wife Dollie for outstanding philanthropic achievement, Colorado School of Mines Foundation
Athletics Hall of Fame, Colorado School of Mines