Three men who were instrumental in the invention, design and development of the mobile offshore semisubmersible platform won the 2014 Elmer A. Sperry Award, which recognizes engineering contributions that have advanced transportation by sea, land or air.
Alden J. “Doc” Laborde, Bruce G. Collipp and Alan C. McClure will be honored May 4 in a ceremony at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. Their technological advancements in the early 1960s made it possible to conduct offshore oil and gas exploration and production in deep waters worldwide.
The Elmer A. Sperry award commemorates the life and achievements of Elmer Ambrose Sperry, whose perseverance contributed to many types of transportation.
The award is presented jointly by Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, SAE International, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
