Engineering graduate supports professors through endowment

When Denzil West ’81 left Midland for College Station in the 1970s, he was in search of the best engineering education he could find. Decades later, after a successful career and a thriving family, West is giving back to the university that changed the course of his life by establishing the Kathy ’81 and Denzil West ’81 Endowed Professorship in Engineering.

Growing up West

Like many high school students, West faced a difficult decision about where to attend college — stay close to home at Texas Tech or follow in his father’s footsteps to the University of Oklahoma. Ultimately, reputation and opportunity for independence guided his path to Texas A&M University. 

“I just wanted to go where I felt the best education was going to be, and Texas A&M had a great reputation,” he said.

West majored in mechanical engineering, drawn by the program’s prestige. He vividly recalls the demanding coursework.  

“I never worked as hard in my life as I did those four years of getting through college,” he said. “Most everything I’ve done over the last 40 years has been a cakewalk comparatively.” 

Taking shape alongside his education was his personal life. West and his wife, Kathy, were high school sweethearts who married after his freshman year. She joined him at Texas A&M after they were married and graduated with a marketing degree in 1981. Nearly 48 years later, they credit their shared experience in Aggieland for laying the foundation of their family’s success.

After earning his degree, West started his career with a major oil company before moving into the independent oil and gas sector. Over the next four decades, he built a distinguished resume, including more than 10 years building a small independent oil company into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, ultimately serving as president and chief operating officer. More recently, he founded and built his own company, Admiral Permian Resources.

West has worked with many fellow graduates throughout his career and understands the value of an Aggie degree in engineering. 

“The Texas A&M Engineering degree is something that is extremely respected across the entire world, but especially in Texas,” he said. “Aggie engineers have done well in their careers, and that just enhances all our reputations across the industry.” 

That legacy has extended to his own family. All four West sons graduated from Texas A&M’s College of Engineering and are each building successful careers of their own, mirroring their father’s experience and fulfilling a family aspiration.

Their gift to engineering

Grateful for what their Aggie education made possible, Denzil and Kathy West have chosen to support the college through an endowed professorship. While they have supported other areas of the university, this gift reflects where their family has experienced the greatest footprint. 

“We feel like it’s important that we give back, but we want to give back where we can have the most impact,” West said. “Texas A&M has had an incredible impact on our lives, particularly the engineering program.”

When deciding what form their support would take, the Wests carefully considered their options, ultimately choosing to invest in faculty. 

“At the end of the day, education is predicated on the quality of professors,” he said. “We felt like that was the area in which we could have the broadest impact.”

Nearly five decades after arriving in College Station, West remains deeply grateful for the opportunities Texas A&M afforded him and is committed to paying it forward. Through the Kathy ’81 and Denzil West ’81 Endowed Professorship in Engineering, the Wests hope to empower the next generation of Aggie engineers — ensuring the tradition of excellence continues for years to come.