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Update:
Johnny Haydel (1954) and wife Martha
accompany daughter Julia and son-in-law Rick Taylor to
Vietnam to adopt Lily Feb 26, 2007.
See John & Martha & Lily -
See Rick & Julia & Lily
Martha Sanchez Haydel---History In Her Blood!!!
Read Page 1
-
Read Page Two
Back To John's Bio...
Career: 1958 Dupont, Victoria
Texas, Wilmington, Del, 1959 Dow, Freeport, Texas
1966 Shell,
Houston & The Hague
1993-1996 Consulting
Education: BS Chem. Eng, SLI, Ph.D. Rice U,
Chem. Eng, 1966
Professional Achievements: Self actualization
Personal Interests: Computers, Digital Photography,
Travel, History, and Genealogy
Spouse: Martha Sanchez, a second
grade teacher whom Johnny met the first day he moved to
Texas. They were attending a party for Victoria College
students on summer break.
Parents: Jim and Hazel Haydel. Fred and
Martha Sanchez. Career: Saddlemaker
Career
Interests: Many
Personal Information
Children 3 - Grandchildren 2,
Comments: Need more grandchildren
Leisure Activities: Computer
projects, puttering, reading
Retired Current activities:
Teaching, volunteering, care-taking mother,
Major Events after BHS: Getting
married, grad school, raising kids, living in Europe for 5
years, attaining dream job as Manager of Research Department
at Shell Development Co
BHS Recollections: Indelible
memories, friends, teachers, activities, a time of hope,
optimism and promise.
Since I was a kid, I wanted to
be immersed in science: mathematics, chemistry and physics.
I was very idealistic and wanted to be a scientist and have
my discoveries benefit mankind. My family was broke when I
graduated from high school. I had a $15.00 scholarship to
SLI. I hitch- hiked to Lafayette, moved into a crowded
garage apartment with Bill Hunt, Andrew Vidrine, Skee Lena,
and several others from BHS. I was flat broke, but Bill got
me a job working nights at a hotel.
After 4
interesting years I graduated during the recession of 1958.
When Dupont came to interview, I found out the recruiter had
no quota. I went anyway, and with my best sales pitch
convinced him to give me a plant interview leading to a job
in Victoria, Texas, a chemical plant making a nylon
intermediate.
After a
couple of years I realized the job wasn't technically
challenging, so I asked for, and got, a transfer to their
research facility in Wilmington, Delaware doing research in
latex paints and Plexiglas. I went to work the week after
marrying Martha Sanchez, only to discover that I was
undereducated compared to the competition there, primarily
Ph.D.'s from eastern schools.
I was
exiled to a plant in Parlin, New Jersey, which manufactured
photo products. It was an old union factory, and the
union guys took advantage of my southern innocence and good
nature and made my life miserable. I quit and went to work
for Dow in Freeport making glycerin. At that time four of my
friends quit their jobs and went to graduate school, so I
got the idea to try it too. Martha pledged her support to me
if I wanted to go. I applied at Rice and got a scholarship
($300 per month, which was plenty). I earned my Ph.D. and
then went to work for Shell in Deer Park (Houston). At that
time the research group was trying to figure out how to run
the refinery units with computers. I joined the group and
found that it was so challenging it was almost impossible,
due to the limitations we had at that time in mathematics,
process modeling and computing power.
The
computer was about 1% as powerful as my current desktop. We
wrote programs in computer language (ones and zeros) and fed
them into the computer on black paper tape with holes
punched in it. There were no monitors or keyboards.
When Shell
built their first gas oil pyrolysis ethylene unit I joined
the project. This was successful and when Royal Dutch had a
similar project in Moerdijk, Netherlands, I was transferred
to Holland to manage the project. We moved to The Hague with
three little kids, all
with chicken pox. We made some great friends and had
some fabulous vacations in five years. I even learned to
speak Dutch, but not as well as my kids.
I then
spent three years back in Houston in the Agricultural
Chemical division, designing chemical plants to make novel
insecticides, like synthetic pyrethrum.
Next I moved to research to manage
the Systems Development Department at the Shell Research
Lab. We were working in Mathematics/Statistics,
Instrumentation Development, Optimization and Process
Control research efforts. I did this for 18 years. When
Shell downsized I was offered an early retirement. I took it
and then consulted for three companies that were in the
process control and optimization business. I got to travel
the world: China, Japan, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and
Russia. I finally retired again in 1998.
Martha and I have been traveling a
lot since I retired: China, Thailand, Canada, Caribbean,
Africa, Canary Islands, Costa Rica, Alaska, and Europe. We
have a lot more plans in the making. We built a house in
1998 on Lake Conroe and have a great dog, Katie.
Our oldest
son Matthew lives in Indiana and works for Rolls Royce
Aircraft Engines. He is married to Rhonda. They have two
boys and own a little horse ranch. Julie is married and she
and Rick live in Austin, both work for Dell. Stephen lives
in Boulder with his two dogs and is a computer software
contractor. He is involved in cycling and skiing. Matt and
Stephen went to Texas A&M for their BS Degrees. Matt also
got an MBA from Southeastern La.. Julie went to Rice for her
BS and then got a Masters Degree from Texas A&M. My mother,
Hazel, is in a nursing home here in Conroe, and we see her
every day.
We have
no big changes planned for the future. Just want to
stay healthy, see our kids happy, and keep up with our
friends. We will stay in Conroe in our lake house as long as
possible. I am quite happy now. I couldn’t have asked for
anything better.
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