Bryan Burrough (69 page)
Authors: The Big Rich: The Rise,Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes
Tags: #Industries, #State & Local, #Technology & Engineering, #Biography, #Corporate & Business History, #Petroleum Industry and Trade, #20th Century, #Petroleum, #General, #United States, #Texas, #Southwest (AZ; NM; OK; TX), #Energy Industries, #Biography & Autobiography, #Petroleum Industry and Trade - Texas, #Business & Economics, #History
CHAPTER 5: THE WORST OF TIMES, THE BEST OF TIMES
Information in this chapter was derived from a variety of sources. The story of Murchison’s work in the early 1930s is taken from Van Buren,
Clint
; Wolfe,
The Murchisons
; and
Southern Union
by N. P. Chesnutt. Information about Cullen and West’s sale to Humble was found in
History of Humble Oil & Refining Company
by Henrietta M. Larson and Kenneth Wiggins Porter. The story of the Tom O’Connor field is told in Kilman and Wright. Information about George Strake and the Conroe field is derived from a 1956 commemorative booklet written by Patrick O’Bryan, as well as interviews with George Strake Jr. The story of Sid Richardson’s work during the Depression is derived from a variety of sources, including Van Buren and land and lease records filed in Winkler County. Information about Richardson’s various loans is taken from Winkler County records. Information about Richardson’s relationship with Charles E. Marsh is derived from unpublished correspondence between the two men contained in the Marsh papers at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library.
Clint
; Wolfe,
The Murchisons
; and
Southern Union
by N. P. Chesnutt. Information about Cullen and West’s sale to Humble was found in
History of Humble Oil & Refining Company
by Henrietta M. Larson and Kenneth Wiggins Porter. The story of the Tom O’Connor field is told in Kilman and Wright. Information about George Strake and the Conroe field is derived from a 1956 commemorative booklet written by Patrick O’Bryan, as well as interviews with George Strake Jr. The story of Sid Richardson’s work during the Depression is derived from a variety of sources, including Van Buren and land and lease records filed in Winkler County. Information about Richardson’s various loans is taken from Winkler County records. Information about Richardson’s relationship with Charles E. Marsh is derived from unpublished correspondence between the two men contained in the Marsh papers at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library.
1
Van Buren, 100.
Van Buren, 100.
2
Ibid.
Ibid.
3
James Presley,
Saga of Wealth: The Rise of the Texas Oilman
(New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1978), 116.
CHAPTER 6: THE BIG RICHJames Presley,
Saga of Wealth: The Rise of the Texas Oilman
(New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1978), 116.
Information in this chapter was derived from a variety of sources. The story of Murchison’s life during the 1930s is taken from Wolfe and Van Buren. The story of Richardson’s life during the 1930s is taken from the recollections of “The Old Friend,” as well as Van Buren. Perry Bass’s recollections of St. Joe’s are taken from
Aransas; The Life of a Texas Coastal County
by William Allen and Sue Hastings Taylor. Richardson’s home is described in
The Architecture of O’Neil Ford
by David Dillon. The story of Cullen’s life during the 1930s is taken from newspaper clippings contained in the Cullen archives; interviews with his grandson, Roy Cullen; as well as Kilman and Wright. Information about Hunt is principally derived from Hurt and Hill.
Aransas; The Life of a Texas Coastal County
by William Allen and Sue Hastings Taylor. Richardson’s home is described in
The Architecture of O’Neil Ford
by David Dillon. The story of Cullen’s life during the 1930s is taken from newspaper clippings contained in the Cullen archives; interviews with his grandson, Roy Cullen; as well as Kilman and Wright. Information about Hunt is principally derived from Hurt and Hill.
1
Wolfe, 101.
Wolfe, 101.
2
Van Buren, 283.
Van Buren, 283.
5
Hill, 115-17.
Hill, 115-17.
6
Ibid., 110.
Ibid., 110.
7
Hurt, 134.
Hurt, 134.
8
Hill, 211-13.
Hill, 211-13.
9
Ibid., 214-16.
Ibid., 214-16.
10
Hurt, 128-30.
Hurt, 128-30.
11
Ibid., 133.
Ibid., 133.
12
Ibid.
CHAPTER 7: BIRTH OF THE ULTRACONSERVATIVESIbid.
Information in this chapter is derived from a variety of books and Texas archives, including the George W. Armstrong papers at the University of Texas Arlington; the Maco Stewart papers at The Rosenberg Library in Galveston; and the John Henry Kirby papers at the Houston Public Library. Biographical information on Kirby is taken from contemporary accounts as well as
John Henry Kirby
by Mary Lasswell. Kirby’s activities with Vance Muse are described in
The Establishment in Texas Politics
by George Norris Green, as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles. The story of Richardson and Murchison’s dealings with the Roosevelts is derived from IRS depositions contained in the Westbrook Pegler papers at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.
John Henry Kirby
by Mary Lasswell. Kirby’s activities with Vance Muse are described in
The Establishment in Texas Politics
by George Norris Green, as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles. The story of Richardson and Murchison’s dealings with the Roosevelts is derived from IRS depositions contained in the Westbrook Pegler papers at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.
2
Cited in correspondence, George Armstrong papers, University of Texas Arlington.
Cited in correspondence, George Armstrong papers, University of Texas Arlington.
3
Letter, Lewis Valentine Ulrey to J. Frank Norris, April 25, 1938, contained in Maco Stewart papers, The Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas.
CHAPTER 8: WAR AND PEACELetter, Lewis Valentine Ulrey to J. Frank Norris, April 25, 1938, contained in Maco Stewart papers, The Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas.
Information in this chapter is drawn from Hill, Hurt, Van Buren, Wolfe, Kilman and Wright, and other books, as well as contemporary newspaper articles. Work on the Inch lines is described in Don Carleton,
A Breed So Rare: The Life of J. R. Parten, Liberal Texas Oil Man, 1896-1992
(Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1998) as well as in Christopher J. Castaneda and Joseph A. Pratt,
From Texas to the East: A Strategic History of the Texas Eastern Corporation
(College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1993). Everette DeGolyer’s Middle Eastern travels are described in Yergin and in Lon Tinkle,
Mr. De: A Biography of Everette Lee DeGolyer
(Boston: Little Brown, 1970).
A Breed So Rare: The Life of J. R. Parten, Liberal Texas Oil Man, 1896-1992
(Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1998) as well as in Christopher J. Castaneda and Joseph A. Pratt,
From Texas to the East: A Strategic History of the Texas Eastern Corporation
(College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1993). Everette DeGolyer’s Middle Eastern travels are described in Yergin and in Lon Tinkle,
Mr. De: A Biography of Everette Lee DeGolyer
(Boston: Little Brown, 1970).
1
Cited in Richard Goodwin,
Texas Oil, American Dreams: A Study of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association
(Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1996).
Cited in Richard Goodwin,
Texas Oil, American Dreams: A Study of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association
(Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1996).
2
Hurt, 219.
CHAPTER 9: THE NEW WORLDHurt, 219.
Information in this chapter is derived from contemporary newspaper and magazine articles, as well as Wallace Davis,
Corduroy Road: The Story of Glenn H. McCarthy
(Houston: Anson Jones Press, 1951). The story of McCarthy’s dealings with Equitable are taken from reports in the Equitable archives in New York. Biographical information about Edna Ferber came from Julie Goldsmith Gilbert,
Ferber: A Biography of Edna Ferber and Her Circle
(Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1978).
Corduroy Road: The Story of Glenn H. McCarthy
(Houston: Anson Jones Press, 1951). The story of McCarthy’s dealings with Equitable are taken from reports in the Equitable archives in New York. Biographical information about Edna Ferber came from Julie Goldsmith Gilbert,
Ferber: A Biography of Edna Ferber and Her Circle
(Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1978).
1
Cited in Leon Jaworski,
Confession and Avoidance: A Memoir
(Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1979), 54-55.
CHAPTER 10: “A CLUMSY AND IMMEASURABLE POWER”Cited in Leon Jaworski,
Confession and Avoidance: A Memoir
(Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1979), 54-55.
Information in chapters 10 and 11 is taken from a variety of contemporary magazine and newspaper articles, as well as books cited below.
3
Kilman and Wright, 270-71.
Kilman and Wright, 270-71.
4
Kilman and Wright, 281.
Kilman and Wright, 281.
6
Hurt, 151.
Hurt, 151.
7
Jerome Tuccille,
Kingdom: The Story of the Hunt Family of Texas
(Washington: Beard Books, 1984), 229.
Jerome Tuccille,
Kingdom: The Story of the Hunt Family of Texas
(Washington: Beard Books, 1984), 229.
8
Ibid., 231.
Ibid., 231.
9
Caro, 274.
Caro, 274.
10
Ibid.
Ibid.
12
Ibid., 163.
Ibid., 163.
14
Kilman and Wright, 293.
Kilman and Wright, 293.
15
Cited in George Norris Green,
The Establishment in Texas Politics: The Primitive Years, 1938-1957
(Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1979), 147.
Cited in George Norris Green,
The Establishment in Texas Politics: The Primitive Years, 1938-1957
(Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1979), 147.
16
Drew Pearson papers, LBJ Presidential Library.
Drew Pearson papers, LBJ Presidential Library.
18
Cited in Louise Galambos, and Daun Van Ee, ed.
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower: The Presidency: Keeping the Peace
(Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001).
Cited in Louise Galambos, and Daun Van Ee, ed.
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower: The Presidency: Keeping the Peace
(Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001).
20
Hurt, 158-62.
Hurt, 158-62.
23
Reston, 166.
Reston, 166.
24
Anthony Summers,
The Arrogance of Power: The Secret World of Richard Nixon
(New York: Penguin Books, 2000), 85.
Anthony Summers,
The Arrogance of Power: The Secret World of Richard Nixon
(New York: Penguin Books, 2000), 85.
25
Reston, 167.
Reston, 167.
26
Summers,
Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover
(New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993).
Summers,
Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover
(New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993).
27
Ibid., 188.
CHAPTER 11: “TROGLODYTE, GENUS TEXANA”Ibid., 188.
2
Ibid., 201.
Ibid., 201.
4
Wolfe, 214-15.
Wolfe, 214-15.
9
Ibid., March 20, 1955.
Ibid., March 20, 1955.
12
Thanks to the Margaret Chase Smith library for this correspondence.
Thanks to the Margaret Chase Smith library for this correspondence.
14
Robert Sherrill,
The Accidental President
(New York: Grossman Publishers, 1967), 271;
The Washington Post,
September 22, 1970.
Robert Sherrill,
The Accidental President
(New York: Grossman Publishers, 1967), 271;
The Washington Post,
September 22, 1970.
16
The payment would eventually be linked to a lobbyist representing Superior Oil of Houston.
The payment would eventually be linked to a lobbyist representing Superior Oil of Houston.
17
John B. Judis,
William F. Buckley, Jr: Patron Saint of the Conservatives
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988), 120.
CHAPTER 12: THE GOLDEN YEARSJohn B. Judis,
William F. Buckley, Jr: Patron Saint of the Conservatives
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988), 120.
Information in this chapter is derived from a variety of sources, including Hurt, Hill, Van Buren, Wolfe’s,
The Murchisons
, Kilman and Wright, as well as John Bainbridge,
The Super Americans
(New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961).
The Murchisons
, Kilman and Wright, as well as John Bainbridge,
The Super Americans
(New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961).
4
Kai Bird,
The Chairman: John L. McCloy. The Making of the American Establishment
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992), 431.
Kai Bird,
The Chairman: John L. McCloy. The Making of the American Establishment
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992), 431.
6
Cited in James Presley,
Saga of Wealth: The Rise of the Texas Oilman
(New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1978), 219.
CHAPTER 13: RISING SONSCited in James Presley,
Saga of Wealth: The Rise of the Texas Oilman
(New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1978), 219.
Information in this chapter is derived from Hill; Hurt; Van Buren; Wolfe,
The Murchisons;
and contemporary newspaper and magazine articles, especially those in the
New York Times, Life,
and
Time.
The Murchisons;
and contemporary newspaper and magazine articles, especially those in the
New York Times, Life,
and
Time.
1
Hill, 261.
Hill, 261.
2
Ibid., 251.
Ibid., 251.
3
Hurt, 182.
Hurt, 182.
6
Dick Hitt,
Classic Clint: The Laughs and Times of Clint Murchison Jr.
(Plano, Tex.: Wordware Publishing, 1992); Hitt, 42.
Dick Hitt,
Classic Clint: The Laughs and Times of Clint Murchison Jr.
(Plano, Tex.: Wordware Publishing, 1992); Hitt, 42.
8
Hurt, 184.
Hurt, 184.
9
Hitt, 82.
Hitt, 82.
10
Ibid., 85.
CHAPTER 14: SUN, SEX, SPAGHETTI—AND MURDERIbid., 85.
Information in this chapter is derived from Hurt and Wolfe’s
The Murchisons,
as well as contemporary newspaper and magazine articles. The story of the Di Portanova-Cullen feud is derived from depositions and filings at the Harris County Courthouse and especially John Davidson, “The Very Rich Life of Enrico Di Portanova,”
Texas Monthly,
March 1982.
The Murchisons,
as well as contemporary newspaper and magazine articles. The story of the Di Portanova-Cullen feud is derived from depositions and filings at the Harris County Courthouse and especially John Davidson, “The Very Rich Life of Enrico Di Portanova,”
Texas Monthly,
March 1982.
1
Hurt, 238-39.
Hurt, 238-39.
2
Ibid., 240-42.
Ibid., 240-42.
3
Cited in Don Graham,
Cowboys and Cadillacs: How Hollywood Looks at Texas
(Austin: Texas Monthly Press, 1983).
Cited in Don Graham,
Cowboys and Cadillacs: How Hollywood Looks at Texas
(Austin: Texas Monthly Press, 1983).
7
Ibid., 345.
Ibid., 345.
8
Ibid., 286.
CHAPTER 15: WATERGATE, TEXAS-STYLEIbid., 286.
The principal source for this chapter is Hurt, augmented by contemporary newspaper accounts, especially in the
Dallas Morning News.
Dallas Morning News.
1
Hurt, 277-78.
Hurt, 277-78.
2
Ibid., 281-82.
Ibid., 281-82.
3
Ibid., 284.
Ibid., 284.
4
Ibid., 293.
Ibid., 293.
5
Hurt, 296.
Hurt, 296.
6
Fay, 23.
Fay, 23.
7
Hurt, 424.
CHAPTER 16: THE LAST BOOMHurt, 424.
The primary source materials for this chapter are Hurt; Wolfe,
The Murchisons;
and personal interviews.
The Murchisons;
and personal interviews.
2
Ibid., 360.
Ibid., 360.
3
Ibid., 371.
Ibid., 371.
4
Ibid., 373.
Ibid., 373.
5
Ibid., 378.
Ibid., 378.
6
Hurt, 354.
Hurt, 354.
8
Hurt, 391.
CHAPTER 17: THE GREAT SILVER CAPERHurt, 391.
Information in this chapter is derived from Hurt, contemporary newspaper and magazine articles, and especially Stephen Fay,
Beyond Greed: The Hunt Family’s Bold Attempt to Corner the Silver Market
(London: Penguin Books, 1982).
Beyond Greed: The Hunt Family’s Bold Attempt to Corner the Silver Market
(London: Penguin Books, 1982).
2
Cited in Fay, 110-11.
CHAPTER 18: THE BUSTCited in Fay, 110-11.
Information on Clint Murchison Jr. in this chapter is derived from Wolfe,
The Murchisons,
and from contemporary newspaper accounts, especially those in the
Dallas Morning News.
Sections on the Bass family were taken from personal interviews augmented with press accounts. The story of the Hunt family’s travails and the Shamrock’s demise were taken from personal interviews and contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts.
The Murchisons,
and from contemporary newspaper accounts, especially those in the
Dallas Morning News.
Sections on the Bass family were taken from personal interviews augmented with press accounts. The story of the Hunt family’s travails and the Shamrock’s demise were taken from personal interviews and contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts.
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