Stender Sweeney; Longtime Executive in Oil Industry

Stender Sweeney, an oil industry pioneer who guided exploration of Alaska’s rich North Slope oil fields and developed standards in labor relations and benefits, has died. He was 97.

Sweeney, a vice president and director of Richfield Oil Corp., died Wednesday at his Pasadena home, said his son, Stender E. Sweeney, retired vice president of finance for The Times.

Born in Sisterville, W.Va., and raised in various oil fields by a wildcatter family, Sweeney studied geology at Stanford and began his career as a field geologist.

In 1928, he joined Pan American Petroleum Co., which quickly evolved into Richfield Oil Corp. Sweeney remained at Richfield throughout its 37-year history, and delayed his retirement from 1965 to 1966 to help smooth the transition of Richfield’s North Slope production into the successor Atlantic Richfield Co.

After working as petroleum engineer, drilling foreman and division production superintendent, including heading Richfield’s Long Beach oil field, Sweeney was named director of industrial relations in 1942 and vice president for personnel in 1953.

In 1946, he co-founded the Pacific Oil Institute, encompassing top executives of the six major California-based oil companies. Sweeney became a moving force behind development of industrywide practices in all areas of labor relations, from negotiating settlements ending violent labor disputes to establishing wage and salary administration practices, health benefits and paid retirement plans.

Twice, in 1956 and in 1960, Sweeney was a delegate to International Labor Organization talks in Geneva sponsored by the League of Nations.

Elected to the Richfield board of directors in 1962, Sweeney moved to head the company’s worldwide exploration and production department a year later. In that capacity, he headed the initial exploration and drilling efforts at Prudhoe Bay.

After his retirement, Sweeney managed a family-owned investment company investing primarily in the oil industry.

He also served on the boards of Villa Esperanza in Pasadena and the R.M. Pyle Boys Camp established by oil companies to help underprivileged boys.

Sweeney is survived by his wife, Josephine, another son, Joseph, three daughters, Patricia Bedford, Martha Schnieders and Carol Spieker, 16 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Pasadena.

The family has requested that memorial contributions be sent to the Villa Esperanza Endowment Fund, 2116 E. Villa St., Pasadena.