A Guide to the Morgan Jones Davis Papers, 1906 (1948-1968) 1980.

Biographical Note

Morgan Jones Davis was born in Anson, Texas on November 19, 1898 to John Wesley and Gabrella (Jones) Davis. He grew up in Fort Worth, worked as a ranch hand on the Texas Cattle Ranch in 1915, and entered Texas Christian University in 1916 where he studied geology under Professor W. M. Winton. He left T.C.U. in 1918, served briefly in the armed forces, and returned to T.C.U. for one semester.

Davis then came to the University of Texas and attended until 1921, when he took a job in Tulsa, Oklahoma as an engineer with the Tulsa Spavinaw Water Project. He was promoted to assistant superintendent and worked on the project until 1924. Davis returned to UT and received a B.A. in geology in 1925. While at UT, he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the Curtain Club. After graduating he joined Humble Oil and Refining Company as a geologist. On August 8, 1926 Davis married Veta Clare Moore of Tulsa; they subsequently parented two sons--Morgan Jones Jr. and James Harrison Davis.

After four years in Roswell, New Mexico, Davis left Humble and spent 1929 to 1934 with the Neaderlandsche Kolonidale Petroleum Maatschappis in Java and Sumatra. He led geological explorations into islands of the Indonesia Archipelago. L. T. Barrow of Humble rehired Davis in 1934 as New Mexico District Geologist, headquartered in Roswell. From that point he steadily progressed up the corporate ladder: Gulf Coast Division Geologist in 1936, chief geologist in 1941, and manager of the Exploration Department in 1946. Davis graduated from the Harvard School of Business Advance Management Program in 1947. He was elected to Humble's board of directors in 1948, named a vice-president in 1951, executive vice-president in 1956 and president in 1957. He oversaw the 1960 merger of Humble Oil and Refining Company with Esso Standard and Carter Oil companies, and retained the presidency of the new organization, also called Humble. At the time it was the largest company headquartered in Texas. The pinnacle of Davis' career was his election in 1961 as chairman and chief executive officer of Humble, posts he held until his retirement in 1963. Davis then worked as an independent oil consultant in Houston with his son Morgan Jr.

He served on the boards of several organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (1961-1963), First City National Bank of Houston, Texas United Fund, American Petroleum Institute, Radio Free Europe (chairman), St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston and the Kinkaid School, Houston. He also served on the executive committee of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, on visiting committees of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration (1963-1969) and the Harvard College Division of Geological Sciences, and on the Advisory Council of the UT Geology Foundation.

Davis' professional affiliations included the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (president, 1952-1953), the Geological Society of America (president, 1968-1969), Texas Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, Sigma Gamma Epsilon (honorary earth science fraternity) and Sigma Iota Epsilon (honorary business fraternity). Civic organizations that he belonged to included the Houston Citizens' Committee, Houston Committee on Foreign Relations, Harris County Heritage Society, and the Philosophical Society of Texas. Davis was a Mason and attended Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral in Houston.

Many awards were presented to Davis during his career. Among them were the Texas Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association Distinguished Service Award (September 1960), an honorary doctorate in engineering from the Colorado School of Mines (1964), and the Sidney Powers Memorial Medal Award for Distinguished Achievement from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (1972).

Davis died of cancer on December 31, 1979 and was buried in Houston's Forest Park Cemetery.

Scope and Contents

The papers of Morgan Jones Davis were donated to the Barker Texas History Center in early 1980 by the Davis family. Mr. Davis had previously given a set of oil industry related maps and charts to the Barker Center in 1969; these items were integrated into the main body of the collection during processing. Inclusive dates for the collection are 1906-1980; the bulk of the material is from 1948 to 1968. The collection consists of personal and business correspondence, business reports, speeches and articles, legal papers, financial records, newspaper and magazine clippings, other printed material, scrapbooks, maps and photographs. The twelve series comprising the papers have been arranged utilizing Davis' folder titles wherever feasible.

The first series contains personal and business correspondence, congratulatory messages, invitations and replies, and reader files. Personal and business correspondence include letters received from prominent oil industry and business leaders, politicians, educators and socialities, and Davis' replies; they are arranged chronologically. Except for 1962, personal correspondence appears complete from 1957 to 1966. Letters of congratulation usually concern Davis' promotions at Humble Oil. Arrangement is alphabetical by year. Invitations and replies are arranged chronologically. The reader files are Davis' copies of correspondence sent from his oil consulting business office (except 1951).

The business activities series contains information on the Humble Oil merger in 1959-1960, Humble Oil stockholders reports, Davis' non-Humble business dealings, and his appointment books. The materials are arranged chronologically. Also included is a set of files relating to a lawsuit, Williams v. Humble Oil, which involved an oil well near Crowley, Louisiana. The third series documents Davis' involvement with organizations such as the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Geological Society of America. Included is correspondence with organization members, committee materials, and information on the organizations' conventions and annual meetings. Arrangement is chronological by organization activity. Similarily arranged are Davis' board and council membership files.

As an executive Davis gave many speeches. He authored several articles which appeared in publications such as the Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. One subseries consists of major speeches and addresses given between 1948 and 1955, which Davis numbered. The other subseries contains miscellaneous talks. Both subseries are arranged chronologically, as are his published works. Correspondence relating to his public speaking engagements and literary works of co-workers and others comprise the rest of the series.

Davis' various social activities includes vacations, golf tournaments, hunts, and memberships in Houston social clubs. Files relating to each are arranged chronologically. Financial records consist of tax materials, gasoline statements, cancelled checks, bank statements and payroll deduction records. Arrangement is chronological. Because of the volume of material only random samples have been retained of the cancelled checks and the gasoline and bank statements.

Printed materials include clippings, scrapbooks, a list of books in Davis' library and a variety of miscellaneous items.

The approximately 110 photographs and postcards relate to Davis' work, social occasions and vacations, and family members. Maps include early oil explorations and oil fields in Texas, Louisiana and Mexico, Humble Oil road maps, and twenty seven maps that accompany a geological investigation of the Lower Mississippi. Scrapbooks relate to Davis, family affairs and the launching of an oil tanker.

Letterhead Index

• Letterheads-Texas:
  • Abilene - Hotel Windsor - 3X296, folder 6
  • Amarillo - Panhandle Producers and Royalty Owners Assn. - 3X300, folder 4
  • Austin - Cook Funeral Home - 3X304, folder 7
  • Austin - Driskill Hotel - 3X298, folder 3
  • Austin - Hotel Stephen F. Austin - 3X303, folder 3
  • Austin - KTBC - 3X298, folder 5
  • Austin - UT Ex Student Assn. - 3X297, folder 3
  • Corpus Christi - Robert Driscoll Hotel - 3X317, folder 1
  • Dallas - Dallas Morning News - 3X304, folder 5
  • Fort Worth First National Bank - 3X305, folder 1
  • Houston - First City National Bank - 3X303, folder 6
  • Houston - First Federal Savings and Loan Assn. - 3X305, folder 3
  • Houston - Harris County Medical Society - 3X296, folder 3
  • Houston - Houston Chronicle - 3X298, folder 1
  • Houston - Houston Fat Stock Show - 3X298, folder 2
  • Houston - Houston First Savings Assn. - 3X299, folder 6
  • Houston - Houston Humble Club - 3X299, folder 6
  • Houston - Houston Press - 3X297, folder 6
  • Houston - Medical Center National Bank - 3X304, folder 7
  • Houston - Methodist Hospital - 3X304, folder 2
  • Houston - Rice Hotel - 3X303, folder 1
  • Houston - Texas National Bank of Commerce - 3X299, folder 6
  • Longview - Longview News Co., Inc. - 3X300, folder 4
  • Plains - Plains High School - 3X299, folder 4
  • San Antonio - Frost National Bank - 3X303, folder 6
  • San Antonio - Santa Rosa Medical Center - 3X321, folder 3
• Letterheads - Non-Texas:
  • Boston, MS. - Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Co. - 3X300, folder 4
  • Los Angeles, CA - Biltmore Hotel - 3X296, folder 2
  • New Orleans, LA - Pan American Life Insurance Company - 3X304, folder 4
  • Roswell, NM - New Mexico Military Institute Chapel Fund - 3X299, folder 5
  • Shreveport, LA - Commercial National Bank - 3X305, folder 1
  • Tulsa, OK - Hotel Tulsa - 3X317, folder 6
  • Tulsa, OK - Mayo Hotel - 3X312, folder 5

Inventory