Having always much admired J. Dan Skelton, and having found him to be an excellent role model in our company as a manager, I find it uniquely satisfying to present this Citation for an SEG honoree. Our constitution awards this honor for distinguished contribution to our industry, profession, and society. Dan has made distinguished contributions in all of these areas because it's his nature to contribute. He truly merits this Honorary Membership as the ultimate recognition of a long and dedicated career.
     I believe most of Dan's associates would agree that two of his outstanding characteristics are his intensity and his diversity. In all areas of his life professional, company, and personal he approaches each activity with zeal, and has a wide range of interests and commitments.
     A 30-year member of the SEG, Dan has served on many committees and held many offices, including General Chairmanship of the 1971 annual convention in Houston, and the vice-presidency in 1972-73. His SEG service culminated in election to the presidency for the 1974-75 term of office. During this term, Dan was instrumental in adding a third vice president to the Executive Committee of the SEG. He also played a primary role in the formation of the Advisory Committee (the group of five prior presidents, of which the most recent president serves as chairman) which offers continuity and counsel to the Society in attaining its long-term objectives. During his term as past-president of the SEG in 1976, he also was elected president of the American Geological Institute, a rare honor for the head of the SEG in this umbrella society predominantly governed by people with classical geological backgrounds. A strong developer of people, Dan selected three outstanding vice-presidential nominees for the SEG when he served as Nominations Committee chairman. Vice-Presidents T. Norman Crook, Kevin M. Barry, and Milo M. Backus all later served as presidents of the SEG. No higher batting average could be achieved.
     After many years of noninvolvement of the SEG in the governmental area, Dan's Executive Committee decided to take a more active role. He was the first president of the SEG to make several Washington, D.C. visits to present our views, even to present testimony before congressional committees. Several position statements were developed for SEG as a result.
     Dan also played a strong role in initiating the close coordination with the geophysicists of the People's Republic of China. In August 1978, Dan was privileged to be a member of the Exxon delegation that visited the People's Republic of China to hold discussions with the China Oil and Natural Gas Exploration and Development Corporation. While there he represented SEG as a prior president and extended a personal invitation to the Chinese to attend an SEG meeting.
     Dan's most recent contribution in the SEG was to serve as the first chairman of the SEG Education Foundation Endowment Committee. He now serves as vice chairman.
     Dan's contribution to the geophysical profession and industry have been heavily weighted by his technical contributions to Exxon, the company with whom he began his career in 1948. Dan holds a number of patents involving equipment and techniques for the practice of geophysics. His greatest individual technical contributions were a special camera to record variable density seismic traces in the field, and an analog recording and processing system using magnetic tape. Each of these developments gave his company a few years' technological lead over the industry. Two other technically significant company contributions were accomplished through Dan's management leadership. His company entered the digital recording and processing area at an early stage, and he instigated techniques for stratigraphic interpretation for the research company.
     Dan has been Manager of Geophysical Research, Vice President of Exploration Research, Assistant Manager of an Exploration Division, and is now Manager of Exxon Company, U.S.A.'s Exploration Data Processing Center. His company assignments in research, operations, and exploration data processing have ideally placed him to contribute to the profession and the industry throughout his career.
     In addition to his professional and company activities, Dan exercises diverse interests in his personal life. He has played many key roles, including deacon and teacher, in his association with the Baptist church. An avid photographer, Dan uses his skills to serve his church, his community Little Theater group, and his many friends who need photographic hints. As a heart attack victim and a later bypass patient, he has often counseled others on the road to recovery. He also advises every such person on the virtue of an excellent exercise program.
     It is a very distinct privilege to be able to write this Citation for J. Dan Skelton, who is elected to Honorary Membership. As a career-long friend and business associate, writing this Citation offers me an excellent opportunity to make him more well known to the rest of the geophysical community.

     K. N. Burns