Ike Stemmer was born and raised on a farm in Osage County, Oklahoma, the youngest of eleven children. He attended a one room Butler Creek grade school. After graduating from Dewey High School, he entered Oklahoma A & M College in 1938.
From 1941-1945, Ike Stemmer was in the U.S. Air Force, where he was presented with the Meritorious Service Award and went from rank of corporal to master sergeant in four days. After spending 33 months overseas, he reentered Oklahoma A & M and graduated in 1948 with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics. His pipeline career started with H.C. Price Co., working as a timekeeper.
In 1951, he became editor of the old Pipeliner magazine. In 1963, he formed Universal News, Inc., starting with a newsletter which focused on pipeline construction contracts and planned pipeline projects. As circulation increased, it expanded to a magazine format, known as Pipeline Digest, which was distributed in all 50 states and 63 foreign countries and had a readership of over 25,000.
Ike retired in 1993 selling Pipeline Digest to Hart Publications. While in retirement, Ike published several books about people in the pipeline industry and two books which featured stories as told by pipeliners.
Ike came out of retirement in 1998 and began publishing Pipeliners Hall of Fame News with the help of his daughter, serving as Editor. Pipeliners Hall of Fame News has also become a leading pipeline industry publication which is distributed throughout the U.S. and abroad.
In August 2002, Ike Stemmer passed away from cardiac and kidney failure. His memory and legacy will continue on through Pipeliners Hall of Fame News.
