History | Southwest Research Institute

Thomas Baker Slick Jr. — an adventurer, philanthropist and oilman — founded SwRI on a South Texas ranch in 1947. After recruiting talent from across the nation, he challenged his team of scientists and engineers to seek revolutionary advancements through advanced science and applied technology. That spirit lives on today. SwRI endures as one of the oldest, independent nonprofit organizations in the United States, providing innovative science, technology, and engineering services to government and commercial clients around the world.

History of SwRI

SwRI began as a vision and developed into a reality beyond our founder’s wildest dreams. What started out as a small operation on a converted cattle ranch has grown to more than 2 million square feet of state-of-the-art laboratories, facilities, and offices.

SwRI Historical Video

History of SwRI’s Science & Technology

1947-1967

1967-1987

1987-2007

2007-Present

1947-1967

Founder Tom Slick recruits Harold Vagtborg as the first president to lead scientists and engineers at a 1,200-acre cattle ranch outside San Antonio. SwRI grows from 64 projects to 600 in the first five years, gaining national prominence for automotive testing, environmental research, and radio direction finding. Annual revenues reach $4.5 million by 1957. Martin Goland becomes president in 1959.

1967-1987

SwRI expands its research capabilities as a pioneer, setting standards in fields such as microencapsulation, space research, oil and gas, ocean engineering, nondestructive evaluation, emissions, and materials research. During the 1970s, SwRI develops new research and safety standards for emissions, fire, and air pollution. The Institute grows and expands in the 1980s into new areas including direction finding, aviation systems, automation, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing.

1987-2007

J. Dan Bates is named president in November 1997. By 2000, SwRI ushers in its first major space mission, the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE), paving the way for more NASA projects. Revenue reaches \$270 million in 1997 and continues to grow during Bates’ tenure to \$592 million in 2014, the same year Bates retires after serving 17 years as president. SwRI rapidly expands work on robotics, intelligent systems, machinery dynamics, intelligent transportation systems, and space science.

2007-Present

Adam L. Hamilton, P.E., becomes the Institute’s fourth president in 2014. He leads more than 3,200 scientists, engineers, and support staff members. SwRI gains worldwide attention by leading NASA missions such as the New Horizons mission to Pluto, Juno mission to Jupiter, Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, and Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). SwRI is also a leader in fuel and energy efficiency, geosciences, turbomachinery, automated driving systems, and energy storage.