Radcliffe Killam
Encyclopedia
Radcliffe Killam was a wealthy oilman, rancher, businessman, and philanthropist
in Laredo
, the seat of Webb County
in south Texas
. He was a particular benefactor of various educational and medical institutions. In 1997, Worth
cited the Killam family as one of the largest landowners in the United States
, with 200000 acres (809.4 km²). Part of that includes the 125000 acres (505.9 km²) Duval County Ranch west of Freer
, which Killam purchased in 1994.
Killam was born in Grove
in Delaware County
in northeastern Oklahoma
to Oliver Winfield Killam
(1874-1959) and the former Harriet "Hattie" Smith (1876-1949), Killam's father was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
from 1911-1914 and the Oklahoma State Senate from 1915-1918. He worked for statehood of the former Oklahoma Territory
and Indian Territory
.
Killam moved with his family, wife and three children, to Laredo in 1920, when Radcliffe was ten years of age. His father had come to south Texas to prospect for petroleum
and natural gas
on mineral leases that he had acquired while in business in Oklahoma. The third Killam well brought about an oil boom in Mirando City
in eastern Webb County in 1921, nearly a decade before the better known East Texas Oil Boom
centered about Kilgore
. Killam grew up in the oil fields and spent his summers on the rigs. He graduated in 1932 from Laredo High School
, now Martin High School. He played on the former Laredo polo
team and was a consummate horseman, who never complained, even when being thrown from a horse. Killam procured a bachelor's degree
from the University of Texas at Austin
and a law degree
from Harvard Law School
.
After Harvard, Killam returned to Laredo to work with his father. In 1942, he enlisted in the United States Navy
. He served first in the Atlantic
and then was the commanding officer of a PT boat
in the Pacific
. He left the Navy in 1945 with the rank of lieutenant commander
.
. Killam resumed working in the oil business but found much time as well for his family and his community.
He received many awards over the years that recognized his civic and business contributions. In 1952, Killam headed the Washington's Birthday Celebration
Association. He was "Mr. South Texas" in 1978; his father had held the same title in 1956.
Much of Killam's philanthropy was given privately. According to his banking colleague Gary Jacobs, "His charitable contributions were always anonymous. He never wanted publicity or recognition. He was a very loyal person to his friends and the institutions he supported."
Killam was a strong supporter of a four-year university for Laredo, which was instituted in 1970 as Texas A&I University and thereafter renamed in 1977 as Laredo State University. He and his family donated 300 acres (1.2 km²) in the early 1990s for the new Texas A&M International University
campus to replace the original campus. Killam was particularly supportive of the TAMIU Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, of which he was the main private donor in the amount of $2 million. TAMIU conferred honorary doctorates to Radcliffe and Sue Killam for their generosity toward the institution and the community. The TAMU library jointly bears the names of both Radcliffe and Sue Killam.
Killam also supported Laredo Medical Center, formerly the Roman Catholic-affiliated Mercy Hospital. He gave to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
in Houston
. The Killams gave some $500,000 to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
. The Killams also gave to their common alma mater, UT Austin. They once gave a $50,000 matching grant to save the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra from disbanding.
In 1947, Oliver Killam purchased the 80000 acres (323.7 km²) Ortiz Ranch, which Radcliffe continued to develop. He founded the Mil Ojos ("Thousand Eyes") Hunting Club on his ranch. He was one of the first landowners in Texas to implement a game management program. He was instrumental in the creation of Lake Casa Blanca
as a reservoir
for the City of Laredo and gave an easement for much of the land that it covers. The lake is now a part of Lake Casa Blanca International State Park, operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
.
Killam was the director of several trade association
s, including the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the All-American Wildcatters Association, and the Southwest Research Institute
. He was also a director of Alamo National Bank.
. No individual marker has been placed at the family plot.
Radcliffe and Sue Killam had a son, David W. Killam of Laredo, and two daughters, Adrian Kathleen Killam and Tracy Killam DiLeo, both of Austin. At the time of his death, Killam had four grandsons. There was also a deceased daughter, Terry Killam Wilber.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
in Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, the seat of Webb County
Webb County, Texas
Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The official 2010 population for the county is 250,304. In 2000, its population was 193,117, and in 2006 its population had been estimated to have reached to 231,470. Its county seat is Laredo...
in south Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was a particular benefactor of various educational and medical institutions. In 1997, Worth
Worth (magazine)
Worth is an American wealth management magazine for high net worth individuals. It is published on a bi-monthly basis and circulated to over 110,000 recipients.-History:Worth was founded in 1992 as a wealth management magazine for high net worth individuals...
cited the Killam family as one of the largest landowners in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with 200000 acres (809.4 km²). Part of that includes the 125000 acres (505.9 km²) Duval County Ranch west of Freer
Freer, Texas
Freer is a city in Duval County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,241 at the 2000 census. The city and county are heavily Hispanic in ethnicity and Democratic in voting history. From the 1930s-1960s, the county was dominated by the political boss, called a patron in South Texas, George...
, which Killam purchased in 1994.
Early years, education, military
Grove, Oklahoma
Grove is a city in Delaware County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,131 at the 2000 census, but the 2009 estimate was 6,377.-Geography:Grove is located at ....
in Delaware County
Delaware County, Oklahoma
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 37,077 and the newest population estimate is 45,000. Its county seat is Jay. The county was named for the Delaware Indians resettled in what was then Indian Territory in the 1830s. .Delaware County...
in northeastern Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
to Oliver Winfield Killam
Oliver Winfield Killam
Oliver Winfield Killam, also known as O.W. Killam , was a Texas oilman, a member of both houses of the Oklahoma State Legislature, a prominent civic figure, and a presidential elector in 1956 for the reelection of Dwight D. Eisenhower.-Early years:Killam was one of eight children born to David T....
(1874-1959) and the former Harriet "Hattie" Smith (1876-1949), Killam's father was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members are responsible for introducing and voting on bills and resolutions, providing legislative oversight for state agencies, and helping to craft the...
from 1911-1914 and the Oklahoma State Senate from 1915-1918. He worked for statehood of the former Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
and Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
.
Killam moved with his family, wife and three children, to Laredo in 1920, when Radcliffe was ten years of age. His father had come to south Texas to prospect for petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
on mineral leases that he had acquired while in business in Oklahoma. The third Killam well brought about an oil boom in Mirando City
Mirando City, Texas
Mirando City is a census-designated place in Webb County, Texas, United States. The population was 493 at the 2000 census. The town gets its name from Nicolás Mirando, a Spanish land grantee. The population of Mirando City was highest in 1929, at an estimated 1500...
in eastern Webb County in 1921, nearly a decade before the better known East Texas Oil Boom
Texas Oil Boom
The Texas Oil Boom, sometimes called the Gusher Age, was a period of dramatic change and economic growth in U.S. state of Texas during the early 20th century that began with the discovery of a large petroleum reserve near Beaumont, Texas...
centered about Kilgore
Kilgore, Texas
Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk Counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the home of Kilgore College, and was also the childhood home of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn...
. Killam grew up in the oil fields and spent his summers on the rigs. He graduated in 1932 from Laredo High School
Martin High School (Laredo, Texas)
Raymond & Tirza Martin High School, known as Martin High School, is a secondary institution of learning located in the Laredo Independent School District in Laredo, Texas. Grades 9th through 12th are taught there. It serves students living in central Laredo...
, now Martin High School. He played on the former Laredo polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
team and was a consummate horseman, who never complained, even when being thrown from a horse. Killam procured a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
After Harvard, Killam returned to Laredo to work with his father. In 1942, he enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He served first in the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and then was the commanding officer of a PT boat
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. He left the Navy in 1945 with the rank of lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
.
Philanthropy
After the war, Killam returned once again to Laredo with his wife, the former Sue Spivey of Bonham, TexasBonham, Texas
Bonham is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 10,127 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Fannin County. James Bonham sought the aid of James Fannin at the Battle of the Alamo....
. Killam resumed working in the oil business but found much time as well for his family and his community.
He received many awards over the years that recognized his civic and business contributions. In 1952, Killam headed the Washington's Birthday Celebration
Washington's Birthday Celebration
The Washington's Birthday Celebration is an almost month long held event in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas, that celebrates George Washington's Birthday. It is the largest celebration of its kind in the United States with approximately 400,000 attendees annually...
Association. He was "Mr. South Texas" in 1978; his father had held the same title in 1956.
Much of Killam's philanthropy was given privately. According to his banking colleague Gary Jacobs, "His charitable contributions were always anonymous. He never wanted publicity or recognition. He was a very loyal person to his friends and the institutions he supported."
Killam was a strong supporter of a four-year university for Laredo, which was instituted in 1970 as Texas A&I University and thereafter renamed in 1977 as Laredo State University. He and his family donated 300 acres (1.2 km²) in the early 1990s for the new Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University, often referred to as TAMIU, is a public, co-educational, state-supported university located in Laredo, Texas...
campus to replace the original campus. Killam was particularly supportive of the TAMIU Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, of which he was the main private donor in the amount of $2 million. TAMIU conferred honorary doctorates to Radcliffe and Sue Killam for their generosity toward the institution and the community. The TAMU library jointly bears the names of both Radcliffe and Sue Killam.
Killam also supported Laredo Medical Center, formerly the Roman Catholic-affiliated Mercy Hospital. He gave to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the nation's original three comprehensive cancer centers established by the National Cancer Act of 1971. It is both a degree-granting academic institution and a cancer treatment and research center located at the Texas Medical Center in...
in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. The Killams gave some $500,000 to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is an institute of health science education and research, located in the South Texas Medical Center....
. The Killams also gave to their common alma mater, UT Austin. They once gave a $50,000 matching grant to save the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra from disbanding.
In 1947, Oliver Killam purchased the 80000 acres (323.7 km²) Ortiz Ranch, which Radcliffe continued to develop. He founded the Mil Ojos ("Thousand Eyes") Hunting Club on his ranch. He was one of the first landowners in Texas to implement a game management program. He was instrumental in the creation of Lake Casa Blanca
Lake Casa Blanca
Lake Casa Blanca is a reservoir on the Chacon Creek, 5 miles northeast of downtown Laredo, Texas, United States. The reservoir was formed in 1951 by the construction of a dam to provide recreational opportunities for the residents of Webb County...
as a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
for the City of Laredo and gave an easement for much of the land that it covers. The lake is now a part of Lake Casa Blanca International State Park, operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas...
.
Killam was the director of several trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
s, including the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the All-American Wildcatters Association, and the Southwest Research Institute
Southwest Research Institute
Southwest Research Institute , headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the oldest and largest independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organizations in the United States...
. He was also a director of Alamo National Bank.
Family
Killam died at home. He was predeceased by his parents and a sister, Patricia Louise Killam Hurd (1915-1955). He was crematedCremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
. No individual marker has been placed at the family plot.
Radcliffe and Sue Killam had a son, David W. Killam of Laredo, and two daughters, Adrian Kathleen Killam and Tracy Killam DiLeo, both of Austin. At the time of his death, Killam had four grandsons. There was also a deceased daughter, Terry Killam Wilber.