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Inventory of the William L. Connelly papers, 1904-1964University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.Email: ahcref@uwyo.eduURL: http://ahc.uwyo.edu/ "©" 2019 University of Wyoming
Biography of William L. ConnellyW.L. Connelly (1873-1964) was a pioneer of the American oil industry, whose career spanned 73 years. He drilled his first well in 1895 in Wood County, Ohio. He did oil work in Montgomery County, Kansas from 1903-1905. In early 1906 he became associated with Harry F. Sinclair. Connelly moved to Tulsa Oklahoma with Sinclair in 1912. In 1916 he was one of the founders of Sinclair Oil and Refining Company and became president of the subsidiary Sinclair-Cudahy Pipeline Company. He moved to Houston in 1917, where he was vice president of Sinclair Gulf Oil Corporation with responsibility for operations in Mexico. Between 1922 and 1928 he was stationed in Casper, Wyoming, as president of Mammoth Oil Company. This was during the period of the Teapot Dome scandal. He was then promoted to vice president of Sinclair Consolidated Oil Corporation and president of Venezuelan Petroleum Corporation. In this capacity he oversaw operations in Mexico, Venezuela, and Africa from a base in New York City. In 1932 Sinclair Oil merged with Prairie Oil and Gas Company, and Connelly became chairman of the board (1932-1950). William L. Connelly married Elizabeth Conlisk in Toledo, Ohio, in 1898. The couple had a daughter and a son. In 1933 he received the rank of Knight Commander of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre from Pope Pius XI. Connelly published a book on his experiences in the oil industry, "The Oil Business As I Saw It," in 1955. During his life he traveled to Europe, Russia, Turkey, South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean to pursue business, as well as to pursue his favorite hobby of fishing. Scope and ContentThe collection includes narratives of trips to Mexico, Russia, Europe, Africa, Caribbean Islands, and Venezuela. Also included are scrapbooks, photographs, and photograph albums documenting Connelly's career in the oil industry and his personal life, including his travels and his investiture as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. The Teapot Dome scandal is covered in photographs and newspaper clippings. There is also information about Harry F. Sinclair and other prominent men in the oil industry. In addition there are records of oil companies that were absorbed into Sinclair Corporation, including Kathleen Oil Company, Numa Oil Company, Lucas Oil Company, Oil Production Company, and Mammoth Oil Company, among others. RestrictionsAccess RestrictionsThere are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public. Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply. Preferred CitationItem Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. Processing InformationThe collection was organized and described by D. Claudia Thompson in September 2019. Acquisition InformationThe material was received from Harry S. Connelly and from the Sinclair Oil Corporation in 1965 and 1966. Related MaterialsThere are no known other archival collections created by William L. Connelly at the date of processing. Access TermsPetroleum industry and trade -- Oklahoma. Teapot Dome Scandal, 1921-1924. Container ListSeries I. Personal and Family Materials
Series II. Oil Industry Records
Series III. Photographs and Photograph Albums
Series IV. ScrapbooksScrapbooks contain newspaper and magazine clippings, correspondence, photographs, and other items.
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