Glenn Herbert McCarthy (December 25, 1907 – December 26, 1988) was an American

oil tycoon A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

. The media often referred to him as "Diamond Glenn" and "The King of the

Wildcatter A wildcatter is an individual who drills wildcat wells, which are exploration oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. Notable wildcatters include Glenn McCarthy, Thomas Baker Slick Sr., Mike Benedum, Joe Trees, Clem S. Clarke, ...

s". 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 openi ...

in Houston, which garnered him national fame and inspired the fictional character Jett Rink in

Edna Ferber Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 – April 16, 1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' So Big'' (1924), ''Show Boat'' (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), '' Ci ...

's 1952 novel ''Giant''Distinguished HISD Alumni
''

Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...

'' which, in 1956, became a film, which starred James Dean in the role.

Early life

McCarthy was born in Beaumont, Texas, almost seven years after the discovery of oil at Spindletop. His father, Will McCarthy, worked in the oil fields and from the age of eight, the younger McCarthy served the

roughneck Roughneck is a term for a person whose occupation is hard manual labor. The term applies across a number of industries, but is most commonly associated with the workers on a drilling rig. The ideal of the hard-working, tough roughneck has been ...

s as a waterboy for 50 cents per day.Evan Kelly.
McCarthy, Glenn Herbert
" '' Handbook of Texas Online.'' 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 Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...

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. 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 The NRG Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas. It was financed and assisted in development by Roy Hofheinz, mayor of Houston ...

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 The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...

.'' Retrieved on November 26, 2006. Dozens of Hollywood celebrities, many of whom were flown into Houston Municipal Airport on a

Boeing 307 Stratoliner The Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner (or Strato-Clipper in Pan American service, or C-75 in USAAF service) is an American stressed-skin four-engine low-wing tailwheel monoplane airliner derived from the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, which entered co ...

airplane which he had acquired from

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

.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 Hilton Worldwide (legally Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.) is an American multinational hospitality company that manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and resorts. Founded by Conrad Hilton in May 1919, the corporation is now led by ...

.Diana J. Kleiner.
Hilton Hotels Corporation
" '' Handbook of Texas Online.'' Retrieved on November 30, 2006. McCarthy restructured his business dealings and persisted. His business holdings included

KXYZ KXYZ (1320 AM) is a commercial radio station in Houston, Texas. It is owned by iHeartMedia, and features an all-news radio format aimed at the African American community, as an affiliate of the co-owned Black Information Network. In addition t ...

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 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