Glenn Herbert McCarthy (December 25, 1907 – December 26, 1988) was an American oil tycoon. The media often referred to him as "Diamond Glenn" and "The King of the Wildcatters". McCarthy was an oil prospector and entrepreneur who owned many businesses in various sectors of the economy. McCarthy founded the

Shamrock Hotel The Shamrock was a hotel constructed between 1946 and 1949 by wildcatter Glenn McCarthy southwest of downtown Houston, Texas next to the Texas Medical Center. It was the largest hotel built in the United States during the 1940s. The grand openin ...

in Houston, which garnered him national fame and inspired the fictional character Jett Rink in Edna Ferber's 1952 novel ''Giant''Distinguished HISD Alumni
'' Houston Independent School District'' which, in 1956, became

a film A. Film Production A/S (previously A. Film A/S, A. Film ApS and A. Film I/S) is a Denmark, Danish animation studio currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Affiliated to the Copenhagen studio are A. Film Estonia located in Estonia and A. Film L ...

, which starred

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...

in the role.

Early life

McCarthy was born in

Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat, seat of government of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, metropo ...

, almost seven years after the discovery of oil at

Spindletop Spindletop is an oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont, Texas, in the United States. The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of the Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindleto ...

. His father, Will McCarthy, worked in the oil fields and from the age of eight, the younger McCarthy served the roughnecks as a waterboy for 50 cents per day.Evan Kelly.
McCarthy, Glenn Herbert
" ''

Handbook of Texas Online The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular ...

.'' Retrieved on November 26, 2006. During an oil drilling boom near Houston, Texas, the family moved to the city where his father gained employment. When he was 17, McCarthy enlisted in the U.S. Navy and returned to San Jacinto High School.Staff Writer.
Great Houstonians - Glenn H. McCarthy
" ''Houston History.'' Retrieved on November 26, 2006. He attended Tulane University on a football scholarship but injured his leg. He later attended Texas A&M University and Rice University, then dropped out of college and ventured into business. When he was 23, McCarthy married 16-year-old Faustine Lee, whose father William Lee was a partner in

Yount-Lee Oil Company The Yount-Lee Oil Company, founded in 1914, was the successor to the Yount-Rothwell Oil Company which had been formed earlier by Miles Franklin Yount and Talbot Frederick Rothwell. It was part of the Texas Oil Boom The Texas oil boom, somet ...

. McCarthy later claimed he had less than $1.50 to his name when he got married.Robert L. Gaston.
Glenn McCarthy, "King of the Wildcatters"
." ''DrillingInfo Community.'' Retrieved on November 26, 2006.

Oil

He talked his father and brother into working with him drilling for oil in Hardin County, Texas. The first attempt failed, but two years later, he made another attempt farther south near Anahuac, Texas and succeeded. Between 1931 and 1942, he struck oil 38 times. In 1941, McCarthy bought land where the future Astrodome was built along with of what is now Sharpstown, Texas. During the 1940s, he established 11 oilfields and expanded several others.

Fame and notoriety

"Diamond Glenn" drew much attention from the national media due to his charismatic personality and his rags-to-riches story. Both loved and scorned by the media, his image formed the cultural mythos of the Texas oil millionaire: a charming, lucky, unabashed businessman. In 1949, McCarthy built the luxurious

in Houston, spending $21 million for its construction. He then held what has been cited as "Houston's biggest party" for the hotel's grand opening.Staff Writer.
The Tallest Texans - Glenn McCarthy
" '' Houston Chronicle.'' Retrieved on November 26, 2006. Dozens of Hollywood celebrities, many of whom were flown into Houston Municipal Airport on a Boeing 307 Stratoliner airplane which he had acquired from Howard Hughes.Staff Writer.
Houston's Aviation History Timeline
." ''The Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society.'' Retrieved on November 26, 2006. Like most wildcatters, McCarthy was an aggressive investor. His multiple ventures led to a series of financial up and downs. In 1952, a life insurance company acquired the title to the Shamrock Hotel, which was sold to the Hilton Hotels Corporation.Diana J. Kleiner.
Hilton Hotels Corporation
" ''

.'' Retrieved on November 30, 2006. McCarthy restructured his business dealings and persisted. His business holdings included KXYZ radio station in Houston, two banks, a bar, a brand of bourbon called "Wildcatter", the McCarthy Chemical Company, a magazine, 14 "throwaway" newspapers and a movie production company known as Glenn McCarthy Productions. He served as chairman of the former

Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Ea ...

and president of the United States Petroleum Association.

Later life

McCarthy avoided publicity during his later career and lived with his wife in the La Porte area near Galveston, Texas. He had four daughters and one son, Glenn Jr. He died on December 26, 1988, one day after his 81st birthday, in Houston, Texas.''Glenn "King of the Wildcatters" McCarthy''
FindaGrave.com; accessed December 25, 2016.

References

External links

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum ''100 Tall Texans – Glenn McCarthy''

* ttp://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/mccarthy_glenn.html Glenn McCarthy interviewby

Mike Wallace Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspo ...

, July 21, 1957, utexas.edu; accessed December 25, 2016. * McCarthy, Glenn and David Courwright
Glenn McCarthy Oral History
Houston Oral History Project, March 31, 1976. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mccarthy, Glenn Herbert 20th-century American businesspeople 1907 births 1988 deaths American bankers American drink industry businesspeople American businesspeople in the oil industry Texas Oil Boom people Wildcatters American chemical industry businesspeople Film producers from Texas American hoteliers American investors American magazine publishers (people) American media executives 20th-century American newspaper founders 20th-century American newspaper publishers (people) American real estate businesspeople Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Houston, Texas) People from Beaumont, Texas Rice University alumni San Jacinto High School alumni Texas A&M University alumni Journalists from Texas 20th-century American journalists American male journalists