George Allan Hancock (July 26, 1875 – May 31, 1965) was the owner of the
Rancho La Brea Oil Company. He inherited
Rancho La Brea
Rancho La Brea was a Mexican land grant in present-day Los Angeles County, California, given in 1828 to Antonio Jose Rocha and Nemisio Dominguez by José Antonio Carrillo, the alcalde of Los Angeles. Rancho La Brea consisted of one square leagu ...
, including the
La Brea Tar Pits
La Brea Tar Pits is an active paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; ''brea'' in Spanish) has seeped up from the gro ...
which he donated to
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
. He also developed
Hancock Park, Los Angeles
Hancock Park is a neighborhood in the Wilshire area of Los Angeles, California. Developed in the 1920s, the neighborhood features architecturally distinctive residences, many of which were constructed in the early 20th century. Hancock Park is ...
. He was
vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
of the
Los Angeles Hibernian Bank
Los Angeles Hibernian Bank was a Los Angeles based-banking company. In 1988 was put up for sale by its Hong Kong-based parent First Pacific Holdings. Security Pacific
Security Pacific National Bank (SPNB) was a large U.S. bank headquartered i ...
, treasurer of the
Los Angeles Symphony Association, and president of the
Automobile Association of Southern California.
[ He owned the ]Santa Maria Valley Railroad
The Santa Maria Valley Railroad is a shortline railroad that interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad's (former Southern Pacific) Coast Line at Guadalupe, California. As of 2006, the Railroad is owned by the Coast Belle Rail Corporation.
Tr ...
, established Rosemary Farm, and developed the Santa Maria Ice and Cold Storage Plant.
Biography
Captain G. Allan Hancock was born in San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, on July 26, 1875. He was the son of Major Henry Hancock
Henry Hancock (April 11, 1822January 9, 1883) was a Harvard trained lawyer and a land surveyor working in California in the 1850s. He was the owner of Rancho La Brea, which included the La Brea Tar Pits.
Early life
Henry Hancock was born in Ba ...
and Ida Haraszthy Hancock (Ida Hancock Ross
Ida Hancock Ross (born Ida Haraszthy; 1843 – March 15, 1913) was the owner of the Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles County, including the La Brea Tar Pits. When she died, she was one of the richest women in California.
Ross was born in Imperial, ...
). His maternal grandfather was Count Agoston Haraszthy
Agoston Haraszthy (; hu, Haraszthy Ágoston, es, Agustín Haraszthy; August 30, 1812 – July 6, 1869) was a Hungarian-American nobleman, adventurer, traveler, writer, town-builder, and pioneer winemaker in Wisconsin and California, often refe ...
, the "Father of California Viticulture". Hancock received his early education in the primary schools and at Brewer's Military Academy in San Mateo, California
San Mateo ( ; ) is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula. About 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco, the city borders Burlingame to the north, Hillsborough to the west, San Francisco Bay and Foster C ...
, which he attended during 1888 and 1889. In 1890, he enrolled as a student at the Belmont School in Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County in the U.S. state of California. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, on the San Francisco Peninsula about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. Known for its wooded hills, views of the San Francisco ...
. Hancock was eight years old when his father died in 1884. He continued in the management and operation of La Brea ranch until he was 25. Hancock married Genevieve Deane Mullen (1879–1936[Genevieve Deane Mullen]
, genealogy.com; accessed 2013.04.08.) in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
on November 27, 1901. They had two children: Bertram Hancock (1902–1925) and Rosemary Genevieve Hancock (1904–1977).
It was at this period that the early discoveries of petroleum were being made in California. Rancho La Brea
Rancho La Brea was a Mexican land grant in present-day Los Angeles County, California, given in 1828 to Antonio Jose Rocha and Nemisio Dominguez by José Antonio Carrillo, the alcalde of Los Angeles. Rancho La Brea consisted of one square leagu ...
was one of the localities in which petroleum was found. In 1900, Ida Hancock granted a 20-year lease to the Salt Lake Oil Company
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constit ...
for of Rancho La Brea. Hancock abandoned his agricultural pursuits and turned his attention to petroleum production. In 1907, after spending three years studying the industry, he urged his mother to allow him enough capital to sink a well on a portion of the property that had not already been leased to oil operators. With the assistance of William Orcutt, Hancock drilled 71 wells near the family's ranch house. Every well-produced oil and the Rancho La Brea Oil Company was born. The family's finances improved greatly with the beginning of oil pumping. The wells produced millions of barrels annually, resulting in the family becoming very wealthy. With that wealth, Hancock was able to pursue myriad interests and thus began a life of philanthropy.
Hancock died on May 31, 1965, of a heart attack in Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria (Spanish language, Spanish for "Mary, mother of Jesus, St. Mary") is a city near the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California in northern Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara County. It is approximately no ...
. His bequests continued his long-time support of numerous causes.
Civic life and legacy
Hancock was also interested in music and played the cello in the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra
LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation
* Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers
* Level of significance, a measure of statistical significan ...
. Hancock was a member of the Bohemian Club
The Bohemian Club is a private club with two locations: a city clubhouse in the Nob Hill district of San Francisco, California and the Bohemian Grove, a retreat north of the city in Sonoma County. Founded in 1872 from a regular meeting of journal ...
, the California Club, the Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) is a privately owned Sports club, athletic club and social club in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California, United States. Established in 1880, the club is today best known for its John R. Wooden Award pr ...
, the Gamut Club, the Uplifters, the Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...
and a number of yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to yachting.
Description
Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a mari ...
s.[McGroarty, John Steven]
''Los Angeles from the Mountains to the Sea''
American Historical Society, 1921, p. 83.
Hancock donated seven million dollars to the University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
[ and founded the Allan Hancock Foundation (later the Hancock Institute for Marine Studies) at U.S.C. In 1931 he had the motor vessel , in length overall, built at ]Craig Shipbuilding
'' Light Vessel No.57'' at Toledo, Ohio
Craig Shipbuilding was a shipbuilding company in Long Beach, California. To support the World War I demand for ships Craig Shipbuilding shipyard switched over to military construction and built: US ...
, Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, with the intention of using the vessel for both business and research. The vessel was used for private oceanographic research and exploration, making trips to the Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands (Spanish: , , ) are an archipelago of volcanic islands. They are distributed on each side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere, and are part of the Republic of Ecuador ...
, before being donated to the University of Southern California and later purchased for war use by the Navy on December 15, 1941, and being commissioned as the USS ''Chalcedony''. On a trip to the Galápagos Captain Hancock would attempt to identify two bodies found on Marchena Island
The island's name, Marchena Island (Spanish: ''Isla Marchena''), comes from the Spanish monk, Frey Antonio de Marchena. It has an area of 130 km2 and a maximum altitude of 343 meters. The island is not set up for visitors, although the s ...
and check on a colony of German "Back to nature" enthusiasts on Floreana Island
Floreana Island (Spanish: ''Isla Floreana'') is an island of the Galápagos Islands. It was named after Juan José Flores, the first president of Ecuador, during whose administration the government of Ecuador took possession of the archipelago. ...
, then known as Charles Island. He also produced the silent film ''The Empress of Floreana
''The Empress of Floreana'' is a 1934 silent adventure short film made on Floreana Island by a millionaire captain who originally came with a crew to visit the Galápagos Islands for purposes of zoology. The crew chose to visit Floreana because o ...
''.
The Allan Hancock College
Allan Hancock College is a public community college in Santa Maria, California.
History
In 1920 Allan Hancock College was started by the Santa Maria High School District. Originally called Santa Maria Junior College, classes were held until ...
in Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria (Spanish language, Spanish for "Mary, mother of Jesus, St. Mary") is a city near the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California in northern Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara County. It is approximately no ...
, is named after him as well as the city's airport.
See also
*Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California
Hancock Park is a neighborhood in the Wilshire area of Los Angeles, California. Developed in the 1920s, the neighborhood features architecturally distinctive residences, many of which were constructed in the early 20th century. Hancock Park is ...
*Santa Maria Public Airport
Santa Maria Public Airport (Capt. G. Allan Hancock Field) is three miles (5 km) south of Santa Maria, in northern Santa Barbara County, California, United States.
History
The airport was built by the United States Army during World War ...
*Southern Cross (aircraft)
The ''Southern Cross'' is a Fokker F.VIIb/3m trimotor monoplane that was flown by Australian aviator Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, Harry Lyon and James Warner in the first-ever trans-Pacific flight to Australia from the mainland Unit ...
References
Further reading
* ''Notables of the West Vol. II''. Press Reference Library International News Service, pp. 67, 1915.
External links
Hancock Memorial Museum
Capt. G. Allan Hancock -- The College's Namesake
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hancock, Allan
Businesspeople from San Francisco
Land owners from California
1875 births
1965 deaths
People from Santa Maria, California