Robert L McCollom Jr. ’57

Robert L McCollom Jr. ’57 of Bristol, Connecticut, passed away on January 19. He grew up in Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island, New York, and graduated from Locust Valley Friends Academy. At Dartmouth Bob’s major was geology and he was a member of Theta Delta Chi, active in the DOC and was a swimmer all four years, captaining the team his senior year. Bob was president of the Geological Society and, armed with rock hammers, he and fellow members invaded the woods before returning with a complete collection of quartz and feldspar. Interest in the petroleum industry guided the society’s activities and became his career focus. Bob was president of the Air Society, an organization of the Air Force ROTC cadets.After Dartmouth he earned a master’s in petroleum geology and went on to join Standard Oil Co. (now Chevron) as an exploration geologist. Ten years later he left to become an environmental consultant. For 40 years he worked on oil and gas developments, liquefied natural gas terminals and major pipeline projects in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Trinidad, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam and Indonesia. In 1974 he was a member of a comprehensive environmental assessment group reporting to President Nixon. In retirement he served the College as an alumni interviewer and his class as alumni fund head agent (2010-15).Bob is survived by his wife, Judith, and many children.