Holding three petroleum engineering degrees from Texas A&M University, Dr. Benjamin F. Marek preferred to be known simply as "Benny" to friends, family and colleagues. His legacy lives on through his son, Matthew Marek ’89, who established the Dr. Benjamin F. “Benny” Marek ’59 ’67 ’69 Memorial Endowed Graduate Fellowship to support Aggie engineers pursuing advanced degrees.
Humble beginnings
Benny grew up in West, Texas, in a Czech community, and started school without knowing English. Benny’s identical twin brothers, Albert and Alfred, charted the path to College Station and earned degrees in aerospace engineering.
After serving in the Air Force, Benny attended Texas A&M and earned two bachelor’s degrees in the late 1950s. He immediately stepped into the workforce.
“He came from modest beginnings and made a commitment to himself, to my mom, Patricia Novotny Marek from Abott, and to his future family to earn his graduate degrees,” said Matt Marek. “That allowed him to have a successful career in the industry and become an expert in his field.”
After returning to Aggieland to further his education, Benny earned a master’s degree in petroleum engineering, focusing his thesis on a comparison of static and dynamic measurements of Poisson’s ratio in rocks. Staying for his doctorate, his dissertation examined factors influencing acoustic wave velocities in sandstone, developing equations to correlate sonic velocity and porosity, and demonstrating improved accuracy in sonic log interpretation when these factors are considered.
Benny’s career in research and development at Mobil (now ExxonMobil) took him across South America, Europe and the Middle East. Throughout his career, one thing remained constant: his character. Matt Marek remembers his father as a good-natured man who rarely spoke about his advanced degrees, patents or titles. To all who knew him, he was simply “Benny” or “Dad,” never “Dr. Marek.”
Following his father’s example and inspired by his humble approach to life and work, Matt attended Texas A&M and studied petroleum engineering.
While a student — and even after graduation — Matt religiously attended Aggie football games. Benny became a fixture among his friends, bringing newspapers and donuts on gamedays and turning it into a weekend staple. Benny’s presence was always missed during his rare absences. To this day, Matt is a season ticket holder and looks forward to cheering alongside the 12th Man.
After earning his degree and leaving Aggieland, Matt went on to have a storied career in the oil and gas industry. He worked for Anadarko Petroleum, where he had assignments in southwest Kansas, the Gulf Coast, Eritrea, Brazil, Algeria and Mozambique.
Now a husband and father, Matt is grateful for the impact his dad had on his life. The family’s Aggie legacy continues through his son, also named Benjamin ’26, who is currently an aerospace engineering student.
Benny’s influence on Matt extended beyond family traditions and into his values of education and giving.
A scholastic impact
This fellowship was created to assist students seeking advanced degrees in engineering, helping alleviate the financial challenges of graduate education. Matt describes the scholarship as both a tribute to his father’s dedication and a way to support students as they begin their professional journeys.
"The purpose of this scholarship is not only to give back to the university," Matt said. "It's also a way for me to honor my father and his legacy."
Matt was guided by conversations with university faculty and the understanding of how his father's graduate education shaped their family. By funding graduate students, he hopes to create opportunities for the future and encourage a cycle of achievement and giving within the Aggie community.
“I see this as a chance to start a new legacy for someone else, possibly inspiring another generation of Aggies,” Matt said.
Matt hopes the ripple effect of Benny’s story will reach every recipient who benefits from the fellowship. For the Marek family and Texas A&M, Benny’s story is a reminder that humble beginnings can lead to memorable success.
How to give
Fellowships encourage collaboration between the faculty, students and industry mentors while allowing graduate students to further their education and thus have a greater impact on the industry. If you are interested in supporting the College of Engineering and its departments or would like more information on how you can give, please contact one of our development officers.