Awards

Kelley School of Business Academy of Alumni Fellows - 1974

About Rex A. Sebastian

Rex A. Sebastian served as Senior Vice President-Operations, Office of the Chairman, Dresser Industries, Inc., from January 1975 to July 1985, at which time Mr. Sebastian took early retirement. In his capacity, Mr. Sebastian had total corporate responsibility for one of Dresser's defined product segments, the General Industrial Segment. In terms of annual revenue, the General Industrial Segment accounted for approximately $1 billion.

Mr. Sebastian joined Dresser in 1966 as Vice President-International Operations, responsible for all operations outside of the United States. In 1971, he was named Vice President-Operations, a position he held until his appointment to Senior Vice President-Operations. In addition, at the time of his retirement Mr. Sebastian served on the Board of Directors of twenty of Dresser's subsidiary and joint venture companies located in seventeen countries outside of the United States. He served as Chairman of a large joint venture company in Germany; as President of Dresser Canada, Inc.; and as Managing Director of Dresser Europe, S.A.

For the 10 years prior to joining Dresser, Mr. Sebastian was associated with Cummins Engine Company, Inc. His last position with Cummins was Vice President-International, headquartered in London, England, with responsibility for all international operations. Prior to that he was Managing Director of Cummins Engine Company, Ltd., in Scotland.

Mr. Sebastian received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Purdue University (1951) and a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Indiana University (1952). His first position after graduating from Indiana University was in production management supervision for Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. Then he served for 33 months as an officer in the Supply Corps of the U.S. Navy.

In 1974, Mr. Sebastian was elected to the Beta Gamma Sigma, national business honorary, Directors' Table. In 1974, he was made a member of the Indiana University, School of Business Alumni Association, Academy of Alumni Fellows. Since 1971, he has served as a member of the Dean's Advisory Council, School of Business, Indiana University where, for several years, he served as Chairman of the Membership Committee.

Mr. Sebastian serves as a member and as a past Chairman of the Dean's Advisory Council, College of Business Administration and Graduate School of Business, the University of Texas at Austin and as a member and past Chairman of the Dean's Advisory Council, School of Management, the University of Texas at Dallas.

Mr. Sebastian is a member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas; the Northwood Club of Dallas (where he served as President); the Purdue University President's Council; and Sigma Phi Epsilon national social fraternity (which he has served as a District Governor). Mr. Sebastian has established two professorships in the College and Graduate School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

Mr. Sebastian was born September 16, 1929.