Philip Grymes Omohundro was born in Charlottesville, Virginia on March 10, 1862. He graduated in 1883 from the Virginia Military Institute, where he was a charter member of the Alpha Chapter of the Sigma Nu fraternity. Omohundro moved to Texas a year after graduation. On December 7, 1898, he married Jessie May Sherburn. They had five children together: Philip, Margaret, Edward, Eugenia, and Joseph. Both Eugenia and Margaret died of wasting fevers at a young age. Soon after Omohundro's marriage, in 1899, he settled in Beaumont, Texas, where he worked as a surveyor and civil enginee. Later in life, he worked as a surveyor for the Sun Oil Company. Omohundro died in Beaumont on May 30, 1930.
Correspondence, survey records, blueprint and hand-drawn maps, and related documents produced by P. G. Omohundro, ca. 1900-1930, record his professional and business activities in early oil exploration in Texas. This exploration covered several Texas counties such as Angelina, Brazoria, Chambers, Cameron, Eastland, Harris, Jasper, Polk, Sabine, and Tyler. However, the bulk of the material centers on the counties of Hardin, Liberty, Orange, and Jefferson. Accordingly, the files of surveys and related materials are arranged by county.
The Omohundro Papers also document the many oil companies Omohundro
worked with, such as Humble Oil, Gulf Pipe Line, and Spindle Top Oil. The
papers contain his personal memorandum and time books, which served as his
calendars of daily events. Furthermore, Omohundro's professional papers include
a group of documents removed from the books
This collection contains a small number of photographs, including one of Omohundro's son Philip. Finally, correspondence with other fraternity members and published histories evidence Omohundro's strong continued interest in the Sigma Nu fraternity.
Omohundro (P. G.) Papers, 1834-1955, Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin