Entrepreneur. He was the founder of Texaco, an American oil company. Joseph Cullinan was born December 31, 1860 near Sharon, Pennsylvania. He started working in the Pennsylvania oil fields at the age of fourteen, learning all aspects of the industry from the ground up. In 1882 he began work with a company, which was an offshoot of Standard Oil. After being a manager for thirteen years, when he decided to go into business for himself, founding Petroleum Iron Works in 1895. In 1897, he was asked to manage the vast oil strikes in Corsicana, Texas and built his first refinery there in 1900 under the umbrella of the J.S. Cullinan Company. With the discovery of oil at Spindletop, Cullinan moved his headquarters to Beaumont and partnered with Arnold Schlaet to form the Texas Fuel Company in March of 1901. Within two years, he started The Texas Company as a means to transport and refine the crude oil; from 1903 to 1913, Cullinan served as its president. In 1905, he moved the company base to Houston, as did all other oil businesses, causing the enormous oil boom to Houston, which was responsible for its rocketing growth as a city. Cullinan was now a key player in the American oil industry, and he turned his attention to serving the country any way he could. During World War I, Cullinan served as special advisor to the Food Administration under United States President Herbert Hoover; in 1928 he served on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Committee; and he supported the development of the Houston Ship Channel and the Houston Symphony. A man of vast wealth, he donated $80,000 to help the Houston Negro Hospital build its new facility, which opened to the public in 1927. Joseph Cullinan was visiting Herbert Hoover in Palo Alto, California when he was stricken and died of pneumonia on March 11, 1937. In 1959, The Texas Company would change its name to Texaco.
Entrepreneur. He was the founder of Texaco, an American oil company. Joseph Cullinan was born December 31, 1860 near Sharon, Pennsylvania. He started working in the Pennsylvania oil fields at the age of fourteen, learning all aspects of the industry from the ground up. In 1882 he began work with a company, which was an offshoot of Standard Oil. After being a manager for thirteen years, when he decided to go into business for himself, founding Petroleum Iron Works in 1895. In 1897, he was asked to manage the vast oil strikes in Corsicana, Texas and built his first refinery there in 1900 under the umbrella of the J.S. Cullinan Company. With the discovery of oil at Spindletop, Cullinan moved his headquarters to Beaumont and partnered with Arnold Schlaet to form the Texas Fuel Company in March of 1901. Within two years, he started The Texas Company as a means to transport and refine the crude oil; from 1903 to 1913, Cullinan served as its president. In 1905, he moved the company base to Houston, as did all other oil businesses, causing the enormous oil boom to Houston, which was responsible for its rocketing growth as a city. Cullinan was now a key player in the American oil industry, and he turned his attention to serving the country any way he could. During World War I, Cullinan served as special advisor to the Food Administration under United States President Herbert Hoover; in 1928 he served on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Committee; and he supported the development of the Houston Ship Channel and the Houston Symphony. A man of vast wealth, he donated $80,000 to help the Houston Negro Hospital build its new facility, which opened to the public in 1927. Joseph Cullinan was visiting Herbert Hoover in Palo Alto, California when he was stricken and died of pneumonia on March 11, 1937. In 1959, The Texas Company would change its name to Texaco.
Bio by: Screwtape
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