He grew up on a ranch near Medicine Hat and thrilled rodeo crowds as a trick rider. Then Pete Sanderson headed off to the University of Alberta to study geology, later earning a PhD in Toronto.

A leading petroleum geologist, Dr. Sanderson started his career in Alberta’s burgeoning oilpatch in the early 1920s. Later, in 1933, he launched a successful Calgary consulting firm.

Sanderson never forgot his roots. He could often be found at the rodeo, cheering on the cowboys.

Before starting his consulting firm, petroleum geologist Pete Sanderson gained field experience working for Imperial Oil, the Canadian Geological Survey, and the Alberta Research Council. He’s shown here in his Calgary office in 1940.

Glenbow Archives PD-132-6-128