Walter Benona Sharp
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Walter Benona Sharp (12 December 1870 - 28 November 1912) was an
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
oilman and innovator in drilling techniques.


Early life

Sharp was born in
Tipton County, Tennessee Tipton County is a county located on the western end of the U.S. state of Tennessee, in the Mississippi Delta region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,970. Its county seat is Covington. Tipton County is part of the Memphis, TN-MS- ...
to James R. and Amanda Forrest Sharp. His mother died when he was eight and his father moved the family to
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.


Career

By the age of twenty, Sharp was operating a water well drilling company with his brother. He began drilling oil wells in 1893, although his first attempt was unsuccessful due to quicksand. Later innovations by Sharp would allow drilling through these surfaces in 1901. Sharp also developed the ''Sharp-Hughes Rock Bit'' to drill through hard rock. Sharp made his fortune from the trading of leases and contracting for oil wells. In 1902, Sharp, Ed Prather, and Howard Hughes Sr., founded the Moonshine Oil Company. In 1905, Producers Oil, a
Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Indepe ...
affiliate, bought Moonshine Oil. Sharp was also co-founder of the Sharp-Hughes Tool Company, which was renamed the
Hughes Tool Company Hughes Tool Company was an American manufacturer of drill bits. Founded in 1908, it was merged into Baker Hughes Incorporated in 1987. History The company was established in December 1908 as Sharp-Hughes Tool Company when Howard R. Hughes S ...
on Sharp's death in 1912 after Sharp's widow Estelle sold her shares to Hughes. Sharp had three children, Walter Bedford, Kathleen (who died in early childhood), and Dudley Crawford Sharp, who was later
Secretary of the Air Force A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
under
President Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
.


Personal life

Sharp married Estelle Boughton on 28 January 1897. The couple had three children.


Death

Sharp died on 28 November 1912, at the age of 42, possibly due to being overworked as a result of sustained and strenuous work while fighting an oil fire.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Walter Benona 1870 births 1912 deaths American businesspeople in the oil industry Businesspeople from Tennessee Businesspeople from Texas Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Houston, Texas) People from Tipton County, Tennessee Texaco people 19th-century American businesspeople