Vassallo: Bill Helms, a World-Traveling Ole Miss Engineer

Bill Helms on Atlantic Crossing (2014)

Bill Helms and his wife Mary have lived a most interesting life. They have demonstrated what an educational experience at Ole Miss can translate into. Following is a Q&A session that we had recently with Bill.

HottyToddy.com: Bill, tell us about life prior to Ole Miss.

Bill Helms: I grew up in Clearwater, Florida before Florida developed into a tourist or retirement area.  I grew up hunting/fishing and enjoying water sports in the areas pristine waters. Before going to Ole Miss, I worked four years as a draftsman and wasted a lot of time on fast cars and honky tonks but never wavered on my dream of being an engineer.

Bill and Mary Helms at the Atlantic Crossing (2014)

HottyToddy.com: Where did you meet Mary?

Bill Helms: I met Mary at Ole Miss our senior year on a blind date arranged by friends in the dorm.  It was love at first sight. With our senior year underway, we had a whirlwind romance and married as soon as we graduated.

HottyToddy.com: Were there any professors in particular at Ole Miss who impacted your life or had a great influence?

Bill Helms: The Mechanical Engineering department was small and we had a lot of personal contact with the faculty. Dr. Fox, Mechanical Engineering department head, was always present and a great motivator and adviser. Dr. Manifold who taught thermodynamics made sure we got it which made taking the EIT and PE exams a piece of cake.

HottyToddy.com: Your employment history is most impressive. Describe your primary professional roles.

Bill Helms: I started my engineering career at GE testing gas turbines. As the Vietnam war started to wind down we moved to Mississippi Chemical in Yazoo City and several years later to Houston where I worked for engineering/construction companies in the oil and gas industry. My career evolved from project engineer to project manager then managing operations. I prefer international projects as the design, logistic and cultural challenges were more demanding and rewarding. You can imagine that building a production facility in a Middle-East desert or a jungle in Sumatra has more challenges than the Houston ship channel.

HottyToddy.com: Your life experiences following Ole Miss took you to some interesting places. Share a few with us.

Bill Helms: One of the memorable experiences was starting up a small refinery in Doha, Qatar in 1974. It was frontier living and we were the only Americans in the country at that time. Later we moved to Dubai to work in McDermott’s fabrication yard. After moving back we then relocated to London where I managed a refinery expansion in The Netherlands then another refinery expansion for Mobil in Beaumont, Texas. My last project and one of the most interesting was the engineering for the BP Deep Water production facilities consisting of two spars (Holstein and Mad Dog) and two semi-submersibles (Thunder Horse and Atlantis) located in 5000 feet of water.

HottyToddy.com: Owning and operating a Texas ranch seems like a dream, but one with a great deal of work and responsibility. Are we somewhat correct?

Bill Helms: Purchasing a tract of land was an investment which grew into the SanJac River Ranch. The ranch started as a challenge and the learning curve was pretty steep as neither Mary nor I had ever been around cattle or a ranch. Mary managed the ranch while I continued to work in Houston as we grew the herd, developed the genetics and built the ranch facilities. As you would expect the work load was pretty awesome but the ranch and raising cattle grew into a passion. Oil and cattle is what made Texas and I feel blessed to have been part of both.

HottyToddy.com: Having lived in Texas on two different occasions myself, I have several interesting wild animal stories. Could you share one of yours?

Bill Helms: One exciting adventure was when my brother and I joined a group hunting feral hogs. The hunt requires two types of dogs, the “chasers” who find and run the hogs down then the “closers” to hold the hogs at bay till the hunters arrive. Then one of the hunters tackles the hog and hog-ties it. The hog-tying part gets pretty exciting as the hogs are pissed off by this time and don’t cherish being captured. My brother who came up from Florida said afterwards, “Thank goodness we had pictures as no would believe we really did this.”

Mary and Bill Helms in Iceland.

HottyToddy.com: You mentioned Mary’s continued interest in traveling. What is your next targeted destination in 2016?

Bill Helms: We visited Norway and Iceland this past September and can now claim we have been north of the Arctic Circle. Early next year we plan to travel to South America and go around Cape Horn. We also plan to travel to Spain later in the year.

HottyToddy.com: After a life of success stories and one full of adventure, what advice would you give to those Ole Miss students soon to enter the private sector?

Bill Helms: Work hard, continue to learn and embrace change. Be all you can be!

HottyToddy.com: Last but not least, define success.

Bill Helms: Being content with what you have accomplished. If you had to do it over and can’t think of anything you needed to fix!

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.

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