The Offshore Pioneers Gala, sponsored by the Offshore Energy Center (OEC) Society, showcased the 1999 class of offshore petroleum industry pioneers inducted into the OEC Hall of Fame. Robert F. Bauer, former president of Global Marine, for his developments in the technology of offshore drilling from floating drilling rigs. Herman Brown and George R. Brown, founders of Brown & Root in 1919, created a premier design and construction company, producing offshore platforms and pipelines. Ralph Thomas McDermott began J. Ray McDermott & Co. when he took a contract to build 50 wooden derricks in Luling, Texas. Lad Handelman and D. Michael Hughes co-founded Oceaneering International, Inc., in 1969. Together, they oversaw several major innovations in underwater technology.