Alfred Thurl Jacobson, Sr., age 82, died in Boise, Idaho, Saturday, October 5, 2002.
Born November 12, 1919, in Delta, Utah, to Joseph Alfred and Ella Robison Jacobson. He married Virginia Lorraine La Com on April 7, 1942 at Ft. Lewis, Washington. They were later sealed in the Cardston, Alberta
LDS Temple.
He was educated in the public schools of Salt lake City and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Utah with a BA in geology in 1940 and an MA in geology in 1941. Active in ROTC during college, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and called to active duty in the 188th Field Artillery, United States Army, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was shipped to England in December, 1943.
He landed on Utah Beach, Normandy, June 12, 1944. During the rest of the war, he fought in the Euro-pean Theater of Operations in Normandy, Northern France and Belgium, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe. He survived the Battle of the Bulge and was then stationed in Occupied Germany. He was awarded the individual Croix de Guerre by France for service rendered in the liberation of France.
In addition, he received the Euro-pean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with five bronze stars; the American Campaign Medal; and the World War II Victory Medal.
He was honorably discharged from the army with the rank of major.
Following the war, Mr. Jacobson joined Amerada Petroleum Corporation as a geologist. He moved to Cal-gary, Alberta, where he was named manager of Canadian operations in 1949. In 1956 he was transferred to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and promoted to assistant manager of international op-erations. He was named manager of International operations in 1960.
Elected vice-president of the com-pany in 1961, he was promoted to senior vice-president in 1962. He became president of Amerada in 1967 and chief executive officer the following year.
In 1969 Amerada Petroleum Corporation merged with Hess Oil and Chemical Corporation to form Amerada Hess. Mr. Jacobson moved to New York City where he served as president of the new corporation.
After retiring in 1972, he served as a member of the board of Amerada Hess and continued to do work in worldwide exploration for the corporation until 1986.
In 1987, he returned to Utah, where he pursued individual interests and in-dependent petroleum projects.
A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served in many branch, ward and stake positions. He was also actively associated with the Boy Scouts of America.
He served as a trustee of the University of Tulsa, a director of the National Bank of Tulsa, a director of the American Petroleum Institute, a board member of Geneva Steel, and a member of the National Advisory Council of the University of Utah. He was awarded the University of Utah's Emeritus Association's Merit of Honor Award.
During his career, Mr. Jacobson traveled the world over and was recognized as a respected expert in international oil exploration and production. He was a member of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, American Petroleum Institute, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, American Institute of Professional Geologists, and the Association of Professional Geo-logical Scientists.
He is survived by Virginia, his be-loved wife of 60 years; three chil-dren, Wendy Jacobson Higginbotham (Keith), Vienna, VA; Deborah Wasden (John), Boise ID; Alfred Thurl Jacob-son, JR., (Millicent), Sandy; as well as 11 grandchildren; and three great-granddaughters.
He will be buried with full military honors.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, Oct. 12, at 10 a.m. in the chapel at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East 10600 South, Sandy, UT. Friends may call from 6-8 p.m. Friday evening and again Saturday from 9 to 9:45 at the chapel prior to the services.