Bill Liedtke
 Bill Liedtke    (businessman) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 27, 1924 Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Died | March 1, 1991 (Age 66) Houston, Texas |
| Alma mater | Amherst College, University of Texas School of Law |
| Children | • Laura • Claire • William III • Cadell S. |
| Spouse | Bessie Johns Smith Liedtke |
| Founder of | Zapata Petroleum |
Oilmen Bill and his brother Hugh co-founded the Zapata Corporation in 1953 together with George H. W. Bush | |
William C. Liedtke, Jr. was brother of Hugh Liedtke. Bill and his brother Hugh co-founded the Zapata Corporation in 1953 together with George H. W. Bush[1]. This was nominally a profit-making enterprise but actually worked as a cover for intelligence agency operations, providing an explanation for a lot of foreign travel and a vehicle for transfer of money.[2]
Early life
Liedtke was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma where his father was an attorney for the Gulf Oil Corporation.[3][4][5] During World War II, he and his brother, Hugh, served in the South Pacific as junior officers in the United States Navy.[3][4] They met on Saipan and agree to pursue a business career together if they survived the war.[4]
Liedtke received a B.A. from Amherst College in 1945 and an Bachelor of Laws from University of Texas School of Law in 1949.[6][5] He moved to Midland, Texas, then opened a law practice with Hugh in 1949.[5]
Oil executive
In the 1950s, Hugh and Bill Liedtke had an office next to that of the Bush-Overbey Oil Development Company run by future United States President George H. W. Bush and Bush's neighbor, John Overbey.[7][8] In 1950s, the Liedtke's, Bush, and Overbey formed the Zapata Petroleum Corporation.[3][4][8] This was nominally a profit-making enterprise but actually worked as a cover for intelligence agency operations, providing an explanation for a lot of foreign travel and a vehicle for transfer of money.[9] Zapata eventually merged with Pennzoil, and the Liedtkes took over United Gas Pipeline in 1956.
Liedtke was president of Pennzoil from 1967 to 1977.[3] In 1977, he left Pennzoil to lead the company's spin-off Pogo Producing Company.[3][10] Previously known as Pennzoil Offshore Gas Operators at its IPO in 1970, Pogo was an exploration and production subsidiary of Pennzoil set up to look for natural gas in the Gulf of Mexico.[3][10] Liedtke served as the chairman, director, CEO and president of Pogo until his retirement in 1991.[5]
Politics
Liedtke became the Texas finance chairman for Richard Nixon's Presidential campaigns in 1968 and 1972.[11] In September 1972, columnist Jack Anderson obtained a report compiled by the House Banking Committee indicating that Liedtke admitted to investigators that he had raised $100,000 in Mexico for Nixon's campaign fund.[12]
Liedtke later served on the Board of Trustees for Amherst College.[13] He also was finance chair for the Bush-Quayle campaign of 1988[citation needed]
His son, William C. Liedtke III was nominated by President Bush in May 1992 for a seat on the five-member Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.[14]
References
- ↑ https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-apr-05-me-liedtke5-story.html
- ↑ Family of Secrets
- ↑ a b c d e f https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/05/obituaries/w-c-liedtke-66-a-pennzoil-founder-and-friend-of-bush.html
- ↑ a b c d https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/01/business/j-hugh-liedtke-81-oilman-who-bested-texaco-in-court.html
- ↑ a b c d http://www.petroleummuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/LiedtkeWilliam.pdf
- ↑ Peroni, Douglas, ed. (1978). Who's Who in World Oil and Gas 1978/79. Financial Times Limited. p. 320. ISBN 9780900671937.
- ↑ Bush, George W. (2014). 41: A Portrait of My Father. London: Ebury Publishing. pp. 61–62. ISBN 9780553447781.
- ↑ a b https://web.archive.org/web/20140409064951/http://www.bushmonument.com/president-legacy.html
- ↑ Family of Secrets
- ↑ a b https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/dop09
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/croniesoilbushes00bryc
- ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NHMQAAAAIBAJ&pg=4887%2C1401132
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=ytEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA31
- ↑ http://newsok.com/liedtke-doubts-hell-gain-post/article/2411476
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