Eckhardt, Carl J. (Carl John), 1902-

Carl J. Eckhardt was born October 28, 1902, in Yorktown, Texas. He studied mechanical engineering and earned a bachelor of science (1925) and a master of science (1930), both from the University of Texas at Austin. Eckhardt taught mechanical engineering at UT from 1926 until his retirement in 1973. He was also a noted expert on the history of the University of Texas, writing six books on the history of the university. In 1958, Eckhardt reassembled the famed Santa Rita No. 1 oil rig on the Austin campus. The rig was the first to "blow in" on university-owned property in West Texas and ultimately yielded more than $300 million in revenues for the Permanent University Fund. In 1939 he also initiated the tradition of bathing the university Main Building tower in orange lights after a major athletic victory. Eckhardt remained an active supporter of the university throughout his retirement and died on June 29, 1995.