JOHN ALSTON " JACK " CRICHTON
Oilman, military officer in WWII
John Alston "Jack" Crichton was an oilman, Republican gubernatorial candidate, military intelligence officer and die-hard Aggie.
His decades of work included exploring and developing resources of oil, copper, zinc, gold, silver and nickel for his company, Arabian American Development Co.
One of the first Dallas oilmen to realize the extent of petroleum reserves in the Middle East, he negotiated with countries around the world as a business consultant. In 1980, the Reagan administration considered him for the post of ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Crichton, 91, died Monday of complications from cancer at his Dallas home.
"He led a very full life," said his daughter Anne Crews of Dallas. "He had a positive attitude in good times and bad."
Mr. Crichton (pronounced Crayton) worked until just days before his death.
"He loved the thrill of putting the deal together," Mrs. Crews said. "It was really exciting to him."
Mr. Crichton was born on his family's cotton plantation near the former town of Crichton, La., about 45 minutes from Shreveport.
He graduated from Byrd High School in Shreveport, La., in 1933.
He received his bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University in 1937. Mr. Crichton lettered in tennis, basketball and cross country at Texas A&M.
Mr. Crichton received a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
He served in the Army as a field artillery officer and special agent assigned to the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor of the CIA. He received the Air Medal and the Bronze Star.
In December 1967, he retired from the Army Reserve after serving for 30 years. He received the Legion of Merit for his service, which included organizing the 488th Military Intelligence Detachment reserve unit in 1956.
After World War II, Mr. Crichton joined the DeGolyer & MacNaughton petroleum consulting firm in Dallas, where he became vice president and director.
In a 1990 opinion piece for The Dallas Morning News, he wrote of the moment more than 40 years earlier when he first realized the vastness of the Middle East reserves.
He and a co-worker had reached a startling conclusion at a 2 a.m. work session in a New York hotel in the late 1940s. They couldn't believe their slide rules, which estimated the Burgan field in Kuwait held 10 billion barrels of crude.
Skeptical of their calculations, they repeated their work in longhand. The results were the same, and Mr. Crichton would begin a lifelong association with Middle Eastern resources.
In 1951, he helped organize San Juan Oil Co. of Dallas, where he was vice president of operations.
Also in the 1950s, he took a group of Americans to Yemen in search of oil. During his career, he was president of companies such as Yemen Development Corp., Dorchester Gas Corp. and Arabian Shield Development Co.
In 1964, he unsuccessfully challenged Gov. John Connally as a Republican candidate.
Mr. Crichton was a member of Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church.
He was former president of the Texas A&M Association of Former Students and the Dallas A&M Club.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. today at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. Mr. Crichton gave his body to UT Southwestern Medical Center. Eventually, his ashes will be placed in the columbarium at his church and his family cemetery in Crichton, La.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Crichton is survived by his wife, Marilyn Crichton of Dallas; another daughter, Catherine Morris of Colleyville; a sister, Frances "Dinks" Atkinson of Hot Springs, Ark.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Foundation, 9800 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75230; or the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840-2811.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), December 15, 2007, Author: JOE SIMNACHER, Page 13B
Oilman, military officer in WWII
John Alston "Jack" Crichton was an oilman, Republican gubernatorial candidate, military intelligence officer and die-hard Aggie.
His decades of work included exploring and developing resources of oil, copper, zinc, gold, silver and nickel for his company, Arabian American Development Co.
One of the first Dallas oilmen to realize the extent of petroleum reserves in the Middle East, he negotiated with countries around the world as a business consultant. In 1980, the Reagan administration considered him for the post of ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Crichton, 91, died Monday of complications from cancer at his Dallas home.
"He led a very full life," said his daughter Anne Crews of Dallas. "He had a positive attitude in good times and bad."
Mr. Crichton (pronounced Crayton) worked until just days before his death.
"He loved the thrill of putting the deal together," Mrs. Crews said. "It was really exciting to him."
Mr. Crichton was born on his family's cotton plantation near the former town of Crichton, La., about 45 minutes from Shreveport.
He graduated from Byrd High School in Shreveport, La., in 1933.
He received his bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University in 1937. Mr. Crichton lettered in tennis, basketball and cross country at Texas A&M.
Mr. Crichton received a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
He served in the Army as a field artillery officer and special agent assigned to the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor of the CIA. He received the Air Medal and the Bronze Star.
In December 1967, he retired from the Army Reserve after serving for 30 years. He received the Legion of Merit for his service, which included organizing the 488th Military Intelligence Detachment reserve unit in 1956.
After World War II, Mr. Crichton joined the DeGolyer & MacNaughton petroleum consulting firm in Dallas, where he became vice president and director.
In a 1990 opinion piece for The Dallas Morning News, he wrote of the moment more than 40 years earlier when he first realized the vastness of the Middle East reserves.
He and a co-worker had reached a startling conclusion at a 2 a.m. work session in a New York hotel in the late 1940s. They couldn't believe their slide rules, which estimated the Burgan field in Kuwait held 10 billion barrels of crude.
Skeptical of their calculations, they repeated their work in longhand. The results were the same, and Mr. Crichton would begin a lifelong association with Middle Eastern resources.
In 1951, he helped organize San Juan Oil Co. of Dallas, where he was vice president of operations.
Also in the 1950s, he took a group of Americans to Yemen in search of oil. During his career, he was president of companies such as Yemen Development Corp., Dorchester Gas Corp. and Arabian Shield Development Co.
In 1964, he unsuccessfully challenged Gov. John Connally as a Republican candidate.
Mr. Crichton was a member of Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church.
He was former president of the Texas A&M Association of Former Students and the Dallas A&M Club.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. today at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. Mr. Crichton gave his body to UT Southwestern Medical Center. Eventually, his ashes will be placed in the columbarium at his church and his family cemetery in Crichton, La.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Crichton is survived by his wife, Marilyn Crichton of Dallas; another daughter, Catherine Morris of Colleyville; a sister, Frances "Dinks" Atkinson of Hot Springs, Ark.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Foundation, 9800 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75230; or the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840-2811.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), December 15, 2007, Author: JOE SIMNACHER, Page 13B
JOHN ALSTON " JACK " CRICHTON
Oilman, military officer in WWII
John Alston "Jack" Crichton was an oilman, Republican gubernatorial candidate, military intelligence officer and die-hard Aggie.
His decades of work included exploring and developing resources of oil, copper, zinc, gold, silver and nickel for his company, Arabian American Development Co.
One of the first Dallas oilmen to realize the extent of petroleum reserves in the Middle East, he negotiated with countries around the world as a business consultant. In 1980, the Reagan administration considered him for the post of ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Crichton, 91, died Monday of complications from cancer at his Dallas home.
"He led a very full life," said his daughter Anne Crews of Dallas. "He had a positive attitude in good times and bad."
Mr. Crichton (pronounced Crayton) worked until just days before his death.
"He loved the thrill of putting the deal together," Mrs. Crews said. "It was really exciting to him."
Mr. Crichton was born on his family's cotton plantation near the former town of Crichton, La., about 45 minutes from Shreveport.
He graduated from Byrd High School in Shreveport, La., in 1933.
He received his bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University in 1937. Mr. Crichton lettered in tennis, basketball and cross country at Texas A&M.
Mr. Crichton received a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
He served in the Army as a field artillery officer and special agent assigned to the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor of the CIA. He received the Air Medal and the Bronze Star.
In December 1967, he retired from the Army Reserve after serving for 30 years. He received the Legion of Merit for his service, which included organizing the 488th Military Intelligence Detachment reserve unit in 1956.
After World War II, Mr. Crichton joined the DeGolyer & MacNaughton petroleum consulting firm in Dallas, where he became vice president and director.
In a 1990 opinion piece for The Dallas Morning News, he wrote of the moment more than 40 years earlier when he first realized the vastness of the Middle East reserves.
He and a co-worker had reached a startling conclusion at a 2 a.m. work session in a New York hotel in the late 1940s. They couldn't believe their slide rules, which estimated the Burgan field in Kuwait held 10 billion barrels of crude.
Skeptical of their calculations, they repeated their work in longhand. The results were the same, and Mr. Crichton would begin a lifelong association with Middle Eastern resources.
In 1951, he helped organize San Juan Oil Co. of Dallas, where he was vice president of operations.
Also in the 1950s, he took a group of Americans to Yemen in search of oil. During his career, he was president of companies such as Yemen Development Corp., Dorchester Gas Corp. and Arabian Shield Development Co.
In 1964, he unsuccessfully challenged Gov. John Connally as a Republican candidate.
Mr. Crichton was a member of Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church.
He was former president of the Texas A&M Association of Former Students and the Dallas A&M Club.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. today at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. Mr. Crichton gave his body to UT Southwestern Medical Center. Eventually, his ashes will be placed in the columbarium at his church and his family cemetery in Crichton, La.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Crichton is survived by his wife, Marilyn Crichton of Dallas; another daughter, Catherine Morris of Colleyville; a sister, Frances "Dinks" Atkinson of Hot Springs, Ark.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Foundation, 9800 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75230; or the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840-2811.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), December 15, 2007, Author: JOE SIMNACHER, Page 13B
Oilman, military officer in WWII
John Alston "Jack" Crichton was an oilman, Republican gubernatorial candidate, military intelligence officer and die-hard Aggie.
His decades of work included exploring and developing resources of oil, copper, zinc, gold, silver and nickel for his company, Arabian American Development Co.
One of the first Dallas oilmen to realize the extent of petroleum reserves in the Middle East, he negotiated with countries around the world as a business consultant. In 1980, the Reagan administration considered him for the post of ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Crichton, 91, died Monday of complications from cancer at his Dallas home.
"He led a very full life," said his daughter Anne Crews of Dallas. "He had a positive attitude in good times and bad."
Mr. Crichton (pronounced Crayton) worked until just days before his death.
"He loved the thrill of putting the deal together," Mrs. Crews said. "It was really exciting to him."
Mr. Crichton was born on his family's cotton plantation near the former town of Crichton, La., about 45 minutes from Shreveport.
He graduated from Byrd High School in Shreveport, La., in 1933.
He received his bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University in 1937. Mr. Crichton lettered in tennis, basketball and cross country at Texas A&M.
Mr. Crichton received a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
He served in the Army as a field artillery officer and special agent assigned to the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor of the CIA. He received the Air Medal and the Bronze Star.
In December 1967, he retired from the Army Reserve after serving for 30 years. He received the Legion of Merit for his service, which included organizing the 488th Military Intelligence Detachment reserve unit in 1956.
After World War II, Mr. Crichton joined the DeGolyer & MacNaughton petroleum consulting firm in Dallas, where he became vice president and director.
In a 1990 opinion piece for The Dallas Morning News, he wrote of the moment more than 40 years earlier when he first realized the vastness of the Middle East reserves.
He and a co-worker had reached a startling conclusion at a 2 a.m. work session in a New York hotel in the late 1940s. They couldn't believe their slide rules, which estimated the Burgan field in Kuwait held 10 billion barrels of crude.
Skeptical of their calculations, they repeated their work in longhand. The results were the same, and Mr. Crichton would begin a lifelong association with Middle Eastern resources.
In 1951, he helped organize San Juan Oil Co. of Dallas, where he was vice president of operations.
Also in the 1950s, he took a group of Americans to Yemen in search of oil. During his career, he was president of companies such as Yemen Development Corp., Dorchester Gas Corp. and Arabian Shield Development Co.
In 1964, he unsuccessfully challenged Gov. John Connally as a Republican candidate.
Mr. Crichton was a member of Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church.
He was former president of the Texas A&M Association of Former Students and the Dallas A&M Club.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. today at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. Mr. Crichton gave his body to UT Southwestern Medical Center. Eventually, his ashes will be placed in the columbarium at his church and his family cemetery in Crichton, La.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Crichton is survived by his wife, Marilyn Crichton of Dallas; another daughter, Catherine Morris of Colleyville; a sister, Frances "Dinks" Atkinson of Hot Springs, Ark.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Foundation, 9800 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75230; or the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840-2811.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), December 15, 2007, Author: JOE SIMNACHER, Page 13B
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