Colorado School of Mines, 1964
Hometown: Webster, New York
Inducted March 2019
Mr. Robert H. Writz is a 1964 Distinguished Military Graduate from the Colorado School of Mines (Mines) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geophysical Engineering. He commissioned into the Corps of Engineers. While a student at Mines, Robert Writz was active on campus in both athletics as a three-time letterman in football, served as Class President, and participated in the National Society of Scabbard and Blade, Theta Tau, and Blue Key. Following his graduation, he served as a First Lieutenant in Germany until his discharge from the Army in 1966. While assigned to the Engineer Staff Section at the Headquarters of 7th Army, he was cited for the improvements he championed and developed in engineer reconnaissance programs.
Mr. Writz went on to obtain his MBA in Finance from Columbia University, after which he went to work for Sun Company, Inc. (Sunoco), where he spent the next 25 years holding a variety of senior executive and board positions, providing leadership in all aspects of the domestic and international energy industry. He quickly moved into exploration management where he made significant improvements in company performance. He has served on the Board of the American Petroleum Institute and was also a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Canadian Petroleum Association.
In 1981, he received his Master of Science Management (MSM) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was selected as a Sloan Fellow. He began his executive leadership roles in 1985 and served continuously in senior management positions with Sunoco where he completed his tenure as the Senior Vice President responsible for four divisions.
In 1995, he founded RHW Associates in Denver, Colorado and served the remainder of his professional career as President of the consulting firm. Throughout his career, Robert faithfully served as a director of numerous boards and professional affiliations.
Robert served as the Mines golf team coach for seven years and has been a loyal donor to Mines since 1984. He is a member of the Mines President’s Council and the Century Society, two societies that recognize giving. In 1992 he was awarded the Mines Medal by the Board of Trustees for his exemplary service to the university.
Robert is retired, now living in Denver, Colorado. He and his wife Jacklyn have two sons.