Marvin Bloomquist was born and raised in Austin. Obtaining an amateur radio license at the age of 13 led him to pursue an electrical engineering degree at UT. Despite coming from a family of modest means, he managed to pay his way through the first two years of college by saving from summer jobs while living at home. When his savings were about to run out, he approached H. W. Smith, the professor of his first EE class, about a job. Despite having no knowledge of computer programming, Prof. Smith gave him a “Fortran Primer,” and he ended up programming for him for the next two years. Eventually, he completed his PhD under Prof. Smith’s guidance.

Afterward, his career took an interesting turn. His thesis, which focused on a subject with applications to oil exploration, paved the way for a 33-year tenure as an oil company geophysicist. He held assignments in various locations, including Calgary, Canada; New York City; and the Washington DC area. However, he primarily worked in the Dallas area. Throughout his career, he held several managerial positions, held three US patents, and even served as Mobil Oil’s Chief Geophysicist. In 2000, he retired, and he and his family moved to the Hill Country west of Austin. Besides amateur radio, he also enjoys nature photography and has been a Texas Master Naturalist volunteer for over 20 years.