Pat Tyrrell

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

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2024 CEPS HALL OF FAME AWARD

Pat Tyrrell grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the child of a single-parent home. He graduated from the “old” Cheyenne Central High School in 1975.

That fall, he enrolled at the University of Wyoming, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and pledged to the Sigma Nu fraternity. He received his BSME in 1979,
with honors. 

Tyrrell worked for Amoco Production Company in Casper, WY, from 1979 until re-enrolling at UW in the Civil Engineering curriculum, specializing in water resources. His M.S. degree was completed in August 1982. Tyrrell was and is a fly fisherman and outdoorsman, and felt water
was the place to be. In fact, he taught fly-tying for the UW Adult Education program in the 1980s.

From 1982 to 2001, Tyrrell worked for WWC Engineering, Wenck Associates, Arco Coal Company (Black Thunder Mine), and States West Water Resources Corporation.

In January of 2001, Tyrrell accepted the appointment as Wyoming State Engineer from Governor Jim Geringer. In this role, he was the chief water official for the State of Wyoming, overseeing state compliance with interstate compacts and court decrees, in addition to managing the permitting and use, and adjudication, of all of Wyoming’s surface and ground water resources. Retiring in April 2019, Tyrrell became the longest serving State Engineer in Wyoming history, and served four Wyoming governors (Geringer, Freudenthal, Mead and Gordon). On March 25, 2019, he was honored to be celebrated in the Congressional Record with a statement memorializing his career offered by Senator John Barrasso. Shortly before this award, Tyrrell and his wife Barbara established an engineering scholarship at UW focusing on students from single-parent homes, or single students in college with children of their own. Barbara was in the latter category, and this was especially important to her.

In 2016, Tyrrell received the Eminent Engineer award from Tau Beta Pi, an award he cherishes.

Since retirement, Tyrrell has remained active consulting for those who need assistance in filing water rights or need assessment of their water right portfolio. He continued to represent the State of Wyoming on issues relating to the Colorado River until July of 2022.

Tyrrell wants to recognize his mentors in engineering who also are in the Hall of Fame. Paul Rechard and Floyd Bishop (who later became Tyrrell’s stepfather, because as a former State Engineer shows the water guys all stick together) were instrumental in his success. He also recognizes all the people who made his career a success, including those Board of Control members alongside whom he served. Coming into the State Engineer’s Office without any experience there was eye-opening. But, every employee, attorney and advisor with whom he worked was supportive and wanted to see a newly-minted State Engineer succeed. He wishes to thank them all.

Tyrrell and his lovely wife Barbara make Cheyenne their home. When not working for clients, he builds cutting boards, wine racks, furniture, and other things in his wood shop. Every fall, there is a trip to hunt pheasants for a week with his labs, Jackson and Rosie, and every summer there is a flyfishing float trip or two in the old drift boat……. somewhere in Wyoming.