J. Clarence Karcher

John Clarence Karcher (April 15, 1894 – July 13, 1978) was an American geophysicist and businessman. He invented and eventually commercialized the reflection seismograph, applying for patents in 1919. By the patenting, and development of reflection seismography, he created the means by which most of the world's oil reserves have been discovered. In 1930 he, Eugene McDermott, and Everette Lee DeGolyer founded Geophysical Service Incorporated, a pioneering provider of seismic exploration services to the petroleum industry that focused on reflection seismology.

Biography

Early life John Clarence Karcher was born on April 15, 1894, in Dale, Indiana. He was the son of Leo and Mary (Madlon) Karcher. When he was five the family moved to Oklahoma Territory and settled in a farming community near Hennessey. In 1912 he earned a high school diploma. Major wells drilled next to salt domes included Spindletop in South Texas, and a well in Nash, Texas. In December 1928, Amerada's drill penetrated the Viola limestone in the Seminole, Oklahoma, area and produced the first oil well in history to be drilled in a structure found by a reflection seismograph.

Karcher and his staff took the remaining 50% interest. In 1941, DeGolyer and Karcher sold their controlling interest in GSI to GSI Vice-president Eugene McDermott, and employees Cecil Green, Erik Jonsson and H. P. Peacock. Remaining as a wholly owned subsidiary pursuing oil exploration services, GSI spun off Texas Instruments(TI) in 1951. TI would find enormous success and growth pursuing a broader range of electronics manufacturing. Karcher would continue in leadership roles with oil production and exploration companies, but would be largely divested of his interest in GSI by 1950, prior to the inception of TI.

Other oil executive roles Karcher served as president and general manager of Coronado Corporation, a subsidiary of Texas Instruments, from 1939 to 1941, and as chairman of the board of Las Tecas Petroleum Company from 1941 to 1945. He served as president and chairman of the board of Comanche Corporation from 1945 to 1950. He was president of Concho Petroleum Company from 1950 until the time of his death in 1974.

To honor Karcher's contribution to the use of geophysical methods in oil exploration, the J. Clarence Karcher Award is given in recognition of significant contributions to the science and technology of exploration geophysics. In 1976, Karcher received the Anthony Lucas Medal from the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers for his invention and development of the reflection seismograph. He was a member of the Geological Society, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and a charter member of the petroleum club.