Ross Sterling, Texan : a memoir by the founder of Humble Oil and Refining Company / Ross S. Sterling and Ed Kilman ; edited and revised by Don Carleton ; foreword by Dolph Briscoe, Jr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sterling, Ross S., 1875-1949.

Contributor:

Kilman, Edward W., 1896-

Carleton, Don E., 1947-

University of Texas at Austin. Center for American History.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sterling, Ross S., 1875-1949.

Sterling, Ross S.

Humble Oil and Refining Company (Incorporated in Tex.)--Biography.

Humble Oil and Refining Company (Incorporated in Tex.).

Houston post-dispatch--History.

Houston post-dispatch.

Governors--Texas--Biography.

Governors.

Businessmen--Texas--Biography.

Businessmen.

Bankers--Texas--Biography.

Bankers.

Petroleum industry and trade--Texas--History--20th century.

Petroleum industry and trade.

Texas--Politics and government--1865-1950.

Texas.

Texas--Economic conditions--20th century.

Houston (Tex.)--Biography.

Houston (Tex.).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (281 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Austin : University of Texas Press, 2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Born on a farm near Anahuac, Texas, in 1875 and possessed of only a fourth-grade education, Ross Sterling was one of the most successful Texans of his generation. Driven by a relentless work ethic, he become a wealthy oilman, banker, newspaper publisher, and, from 1931 to 1933, one-term governor of Texas. Sterling was the principal founder of the Humble Oil and Refining Company, which eventually became the largest division of the ExxonMobil Corporation, as well as the owner of the Houston Post. Eager to "preserve a narrative record of his life and deeds," Ross Sterling hired Ed Kilman, an old friend and editorial page editor of the Houston Post, to write his biography. Though the book was nearly finished before Sterling's death in 1949, it never found a publisher due to Kilman's florid writing style and overly hagiographic portrayal of Sterling. In this volume, by contrast, editor Don Carleton uses the original oral history dictated by Ross Sterling to Ed Kilman to present the former governor's life story in his own words. Sterling vividly describes his formative years, early business ventures, and active role in developing the Texas oil industry. He also recalls his political career, from his appointment to the Texas Highway Commission to his term as governor, ending with his controversial defeat for reelection by "Ma" Ferguson. Sterling's reminiscences constitute an important primary source not only on the life of a Texan who deserves to be more widely remembered, but also on the history of Houston and the growth of the American oil industry.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Foreword

Introduction: Don Carleton

One. Double Bayou

Two. The Flip of a Coin

Three. The First Two Oil Wells

Four. Taking Over Standard

Five. A Personality Company

Six. Pulling Stakes at Fifty

Seven. Deerslayers Deluxe

Eight. Highways of Destiny

Nine. The Unbonding Plan

Ten. An Unpolitical Politician

Eleven. Pour It On

Twelve. The World Loves a Winner

Thirteen. The Supreme Honor of My Life

Fourteen. Crisis in East Texas

Fifteen. Drowning in Ten-Cent Oil

Sixteen. Holding the Bull

Seventeen. Whistling in the Dark

Eighteen. Flying Words and Eggs

Nineteen. The Battle of the People

Twenty. It Was a Great Show

Twenty-one. Martial Law’s Finale

Twenty-two. Back in the Chips

Twenty-three. The View from the Western Slope

Epilogue

Notes

Index

Notes:

"The Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-256) and index.

ISBN:

0-292-79552-1

OCLC:

646760703