Strengths - Energy & Natural Resources
American Energy History Collections
The American Energy History Collections consists of corporate archives, organizational records, personal papers and oral histories that provide a comprehensive view of the energy industry and its influence on Texas, the nation and the world. From the early days of the oil industry in the 1850s to the 1901 discovery of oil at Spindletop through the emergence of the global energy economy, these collections document how the industry has impacted business, society, politics and culture in the 19th and 20th centuries.
This group of collections provides ample material for the study of all facets of the industry, from the work of geologists and engineers to discover new sources of oil to the business of getting refined products to the consumer. The collections’ strength lies in the various perspectives from which the industry is documented. Researchers can study the successes, and failures, of independent entrepreneurs as well as the evolution of multinational corporations. Through personal recollections, one can see how the industry directly affected the lives of employees and how individuals helped shape the industry. Oil’s role in the legal, governmental and regulatory realms is also well represented. Materials that provide insight into subjects outside the industry such as general business and governmental history, social and labor movements, marketing and advertising and genealogy further enhances the value of these collections.
Some selected collections include:
ExxonMobil Historical Collection
The ExxonMobil Historical Collection (EMHC) documents the long history of Exxon Mobil Corporation, focusing on the activities and functions of four major corporate entities – Standard Oil Company, founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller, Mobil Corporation, Exxon Corporation and Exxon Mobil Corporation – as well as various predecessor, affiliate and subsidiary companies, notably Texas-based Humble Oil & Refining Company and Magnolia Petroleum Company. Comprised of an estimated 4 million documents, 1.5 million photographs, 4,000 artifacts, and well over 30,000 moving image and sound recordings, the EMHC is arguably the largest publicly available collection documenting a single petroleum company. The collection provides insight into the early activities of the Standard Oil Company and charts the growth of Exxon and Mobil’s core business activities, namely the exploration, production, refining and marketing of petroleum products, and the industry’s development and societal impact throughout the 20th century. In addition, the collection contains diverse material that can support research on related topics such as advertising and brand identity, management and corporate culture, the environment, architecture, graphic design, and philanthropy.
The EMHC started in the 1950s as an historical subject file in the public relations department of Socony Mobil Oil Company, a predecessor of Mobil Corporation. Originally conceived as a compilation of news clippings, correspondence, printed material and photographs, the historical file helped employees respond to frequently asked questions from corporate managers, shareholders and the general public. Throughout the following four decades, the historical file expanded to include a wealth of archival material donated by retirees and employees. Managers of the file also began to seek out artifacts, such as signs, product containers and service pins, to augment the collection and document the material culture of the company. In 1995, recognizing the importance of this extensive collection, Mobil Corporation established the Mobil Corporate Archives, a program dedicated to documenting the corporation. The merger of Exxon and Mobil in 1999 precipitated combining the Archives with Exxon’s vast collection of historical materials to form the ExxonMobil Historical Collection. In 2003, ExxonMobil donated the Collection to the Center for American History to ensure the preservation of this important historical resource.
The Oral History of the Texas Oil Industry Records
The Oral History of the Texas Oil Industry Records is a major collection documenting the development of the Texas oil industry from the turn of the century to 1950. The records include 218 recorded interviews of the reminiscences of pioneers in all phases of the oil fields and oil booms: roughnecks, drillers, promoters, financiers, contractors, leasemen and law officers. The project was begun by sixteen interviewers who recorded the memories of persons who had first-hand knowledge of the history and lore of the early oil industry in Texas. Supplementing these interviews are photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, brochures, scrapbooks and literary works that provide further context for the recollections.
Supported by the Walter Benona Sharp Fund, the origins of the project lay in the1951 gathering of oil pioneers at Beaumont, Texas, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Spindletop discovery. At that time, Mrs. Estelle B. Sharp, wife of one of the early Spindletop drillers, saw the need to gather these pioneers’ recollections before they, like the pioneers of trail driving and railroading, were lost. Through her contributions and those of others interested in recording the story of Texas oil, the project was begun in the summer of 1952 under the auspices of the Archives at The University of Texas.
Finding aid for the Oral History of the Texas Oil Industry Records
The Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners (TIPRO) Records
The Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners (TIPRO) Oral History Collection
These two discrete collections document the history of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO), an organization founded in 1946 to promote and protect the interests and concerns of independent oil and gas producers, particularly small businesses, and royal owners throughout Texas. The records and oral history interviews, conducted by the Center for American History, illustrate TIPRO’s work to help insure sound economic and government practices and to demand political accountability in the oil and gas industry.
Finding aid for the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners (TIPRO) Records
Finding aid for the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners (TIPRO) Oral History Collection
Pennzoil Company v. Texaco Inc. Case Records and the Pennzoil-Texaco Dispute Oral History Collection
These two collections trace one of the most controversial legal battles ever fought between America’s oil companies. In the suit, Houston-based Pennzoil Company charged that Texaco unjustly interfered in a 1984 agreement between Pennzoil and Los Angeles-based Getty Oil Company by acquiring all of Getty’s stock days after Pennzoil had agreed to purchase a three-sevenths stake in that company. The multi-million dollar settlement, in Pennzoil’s favor, stands as one of the largest in legal history. Donated by Pennzoil, the case records comprise a complete set of legal documents and other materials generated during the trial, including trial transcripts, depositions and pleadings in state and federal courts, as well as comprehensive news clippings covering the case.
Finding aids for these collections are available in the Center’s reading room.