Waite Phillips was an American oil pioneer and businessman, who created a fully integrated oil operation combining producing, refining and marketing. With headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he also developed several office complexes and engaged in banking as well as ranching. He was also a major philanthropist, both for local Tulsa institutions as well as national causes. In Tulsa he had a 72-room mansion built as a residence, which he later donated to the city. It became the Philbrook Museum of Art. In other philanthropy, he donated 127,000 acres of his favorite ranch in New Mexico to the Boy Scouts of America, together with an office building as part of its endowment.
Waite Phillips and his identical twin brother Wiate were born near Conway, Iowa to Civil War veteran Lewis “Lew” Franklin Phillips and Lucinda Josephine “Josie” Faucett Phillips. Waite, the younger twin, was the 7th of 10 children born into the Phillips family.
In 1899, at age sixteen, Waite and Wiate left the 40-acre farm they called home, boarded a train and headed West. Their travels took them to most of the western and midwestern United States, plus parts of Canada. As they traveled, to support themselves they worked a variety of jobs in such fields as railroad building, mining and lumbering. They spent one winter trapping fur animals in the Bitterroot Mountains. Their adventure came to an end in Spokane, Washington on July 16, 1902 when Wiate died as a result of acute appendicitis.
Waite returned home to Iowa and, after six months of college studies, launched into an active business career. His business experience, under the guidance and help of his elder brothers, Frank and L.E. Phillips, moved swiftly from a short period of coal mining in Iowa to oil operations, in 1906, centered around Bartlesville, Oklahoma His brothers created the business which became known as Phillips Petroleum Company.
In 1914 Phillips sold his oil interests to his elder brothers. He started out on his own as an individual oil producer, refiner and marketer. His fully integrated and extensive oil operations lasted almost 40 years. After 1918, he had his headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While in Tulsa, Phillips built several office complexes, such as the Philtower and Philcade. He also had a mansion built, the 72-room Italian Renaissance-style Villa Philbrook. In 1938 during the Great Depression, Phillips donated his immense home to the city of Tulsa, which adapted it into the Philbrook Museum of Art. Each of these buildings has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In addition to his oil business, Phillips was actively engaged in banking, city real estate developments and the operation of ranches in several Rocky Mountain regions. His first choice of ranches was the UU near Cimarron, New Mexico, acquired in 1922. After disposing of his other ranches, he developed the 300,000-acre UU Ranch into diversified farming and livestock operations. Waite built the Villa Philmonte as his summer house. On the ranch, he also built mountain trails, a hunting lodge and a fishing lodge, all of which he found to be restful retreats from business pressures in Tulsa.
In 1938 and in 1941, Phillips donated 127,000 acres of his UU Ranch to the Boy Scouts of America, complete with water, mineral and timber rights. As an endowment, he donated the 23-story Philtower Building in Tulsa. These donations were made without any rights of management reserved by the donor. All equipment and livestock was included in the gift with the idea that diversified ranch operations would provide educational benefits to Boy Scouts and would add to the endowment income. In honor of Phillips, the Boy Scouts of America renamed the newly donated land Philmont.
Waite Phillips and his identical twin brother Wiate were born near Conway, Iowa to Civil War veteran Lewis “Lew” Franklin Phillips and Lucinda Josephine “Josie” Faucett Phillips. Waite, the younger twin, was the 7th of 10 children born into the Phillips family.
In 1899, at age sixteen, Waite and Wiate left the 40-acre farm they called home, boarded a train and headed West. Their travels took them to most of the western and midwestern United States, plus parts of Canada. As they traveled, to support themselves they worked a variety of jobs in such fields as railroad building, mining and lumbering. They spent one winter trapping fur animals in the Bitterroot Mountains. Their adventure came to an end in Spokane, Washington on July 16, 1902 when Wiate died as a result of acute appendicitis.
Waite returned home to Iowa and, after six months of college studies, launched into an active business career. His business experience, under the guidance and help of his elder brothers, Frank and L.E. Phillips, moved swiftly from a short period of coal mining in Iowa to oil operations, in 1906, centered around Bartlesville, Oklahoma His brothers created the business which became known as Phillips Petroleum Company.
In 1914 Phillips sold his oil interests to his elder brothers. He started out on his own as an individual oil producer, refiner and marketer. His fully integrated and extensive oil operations lasted almost 40 years. After 1918, he had his headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While in Tulsa, Phillips built several office complexes, such as the Philtower and Philcade. He also had a mansion built, the 72-room Italian Renaissance-style Villa Philbrook. In 1938 during the Great Depression, Phillips donated his immense home to the city of Tulsa, which adapted it into the Philbrook Museum of Art. Each of these buildings has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In addition to his oil business, Phillips was actively engaged in banking, city real estate developments and the operation of ranches in several Rocky Mountain regions. His first choice of ranches was the UU near Cimarron, New Mexico, acquired in 1922. After disposing of his other ranches, he developed the 300,000-acre UU Ranch into diversified farming and livestock operations. Waite built the Villa Philmonte as his summer house. On the ranch, he also built mountain trails, a hunting lodge and a fishing lodge, all of which he found to be restful retreats from business pressures in Tulsa.
In 1938 and in 1941, Phillips donated 127,000 acres of his UU Ranch to the Boy Scouts of America, complete with water, mineral and timber rights. As an endowment, he donated the 23-story Philtower Building in Tulsa. These donations were made without any rights of management reserved by the donor. All equipment and livestock was included in the gift with the idea that diversified ranch operations would provide educational benefits to Boy Scouts and would add to the endowment income. In honor of Phillips, the Boy Scouts of America renamed the newly donated land Philmont.
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