 Educated first at the University of Utah and subsequently receiving a Ph.D. from Purdue University, he spent the bulk of his career working for energy and engineering companies developing innovative chemical processes.His career began at Standard Oil of Indiana in the 1930s and included increasingly important research and management positions at Mobil Oil, Houdri Process Company, Air Products and Chemicals, and the M.W.Kellogg Company, of which Dr. Oblad became Vice President of Research.