Robert O. Anderson
Encyclopedia
Robert Orville Anderson (April 13, 1917 – December 2, 2007) was an American
business leader, legendary wildcatter
and philanthropist
who founded Atlantic Richfield Oil Co.
(since 2000 part of BP) through the 1966 merger of the Atlantic and Richfield oil companies and was Arco's chairman for two decades. Anderson used his clout to support an array of major cultural organizations, from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
to Harper's Magazine
. He died December 2, 2007 at his home in Roswell, New Mexico
.
Anderson turned Arco into the United States' sixth-largest oil company by the time he left in 1986 to pursue other interests. He was by then the largest individual landowner in the United States, with ranches and other holdings in Texas
and New Mexico
amounting to some 2000 square miles (5,180 km²) and a personal fortune estimated at $200 million.
on April 13, 1917, to the Swedish
immigrants Hugo A. Anderson and Hilda Nelson. His father was a prominent banker who, Anderson often said, was the first banker in the U.S. "who loaned money on oil in the ground."
Robert attended the Laboratory Elementary and High Schools of the University of Chicago
, and then studied there in college, majoring in economics and graduating in 1939. He was a member of the Omega chapter of the Psi Upsilon
Fraternity. During summers, he worked on pipelines in Texas. After graduating, he worked for the American Mineral Spirits Company, a subsidiary of Pure Oil
. In 1941, his father helped him and his brothers buy a refinery in New Mexico.
. He entered the top ranks of independent oil producers in 1957 with a major find at the Empire-Abo field in New Mexico.
In 1963, Anderson merged his company into the Atlantic Refining Company of Philadelphia. In 1966, as Atlantic's chairman and chief executive, he merged with Richfield Oil of Los Angeles, forming ARCO
. Headquarters were based in Dallas.
In 1967, he approved recommendations from ARCO
, Alaska staff including geologist
s Marvin Mangus
and John M. Sweet. His approval led to Arco's discovery of still the largest oil field yet found in North America
at Prudhoe Bay
on Alaska's North Slope. That oil field has produced billions of barrels of crude and accounts for a fifth of domestic oil production. Soon after, due to the wealth gained by the finding of Prudhoe Bay oil, he merged again with Sinclair Oil
, forming the United States' seventh-biggest oil company.
Anderson led Arco's move from New York
to Los Angeles in 1972, when it opened the landmark ARCO Plaza or Atlantic Richfield Plaza at 5th and Flower streets. The company's twin 51-story towers raised the downtown's skyline considerably.
Anderson's long-time friendship with Herbert Bayer
, who at the time was the last surviving member of the Bauhaus
, led to Anderson's interest and eventual passion for Contemporary Art. A compulsive collector, his personal collection spilled over into his offices. By the time he and ARCO moved to LA, "ARCO's Corporate Art Collection" had grown to more than 3,000 works, consisting of original paintings, drawings, sculpture, limited edition prints and signed photographs.
The centerpiece of the Bauhaus-inspired Arco Plaza is the magnificent Sculpture Fountain designed by Bayer, entitled Double Ascension. It was said to have been named by Anderson with Bayer present. Apparently Anderson laughed out loud when he first heard the original title (saying he loved it, but doubted "the Board Members & Shareholders would appreciate a sculpture titled Stairs to Nowhere").
ARCO's nationwide Art Collection grew to over 30,000 original pieces under the direction of Herbert Bayer and Leila L. Mehle, the Corporate Art Curator. A large part of the collection was housed in the ANACONDA Tower in Denver (built by ARCO upon their purchase of the Anaconda Copper
mining concern in the late 1970s).
Under Mehle's direction, ARCO was the first company or collection to utilize computer data-entry to keep track of and inventory a major art collection. This Mehle to direct rotating the collection, giving the ARCO offices a "gallery feel" with a near-monthly change of key art works in common areas in the offices. No matter how small the office, a framed graphic, print or photograph was on display.
When asked why a Fortune 500
company should invest in modern art, Anderson replied: "Because I like it. It makes you think. I didn't get where I am because I took the same path as everyone else. One of the reasons ARCO is successful is that I encourage my people to look at all issues from every possible angle. That's one of the many reasons Contemporary Art is beneficial to society. It inspires you to think outside the box
and use your imagination. If you examine a problem closely and think about all the possible solutions, you'll come up with the best possible answer. That's part of what made ARCO a success."
Always a visionary, Anderson also led the seven-company effort to develop the Alaskan oil pipeline
in 1974.
From 1966 to 1982, through acquisitions and strategic diversification, Anderson grew ARCO's revenues 20-fold (from $1 billion to over $20 billion). In 1985, with crude oil prices set to plunge and hostile corporate takeovers in the offing, Anderson led a major restructuring of Arco.
Anderson left Arco in 1986 to form Hondo Oil & Gas Company, Roswell, New Mexico
, where he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from September 1986 to February 1994.
, and Harper's Magazine
. He persuaded Arco's board to purchase the Observer in 1977 when it was nearly bankrupt. He called it "a modest bet on the survival of England." In 1980, Arco saved Harper's with a pledge of $1.5 million, which was matched by a similar amount from the MacArthur Foundation.
Anderson guided Arco to play an important civic and philanthropic role in Los Angeles. The company donated $3 million toward the cost of a new building at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
. The building, which opened in 1986, was named for Anderson (it is now the Art of the Americas Building).
Anderson served as chairman of the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies
, which convenes business executives and others to discuss world problems. He helped found the Worldwatch Institute in Washington to monitor global environmental trends, the International Institute for Environment and Development
in London to study environmental and food issues and the John Muir Institute of the Environment in Davis, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
business leader, legendary wildcatter
Wildcatter
A wildcatter is an American term for a person who drills wildcat wells, which are oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. A wildcatter notable for his success was Texan oil tycoon Glenn McCarthy....
and philanthropist
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...
who founded Atlantic Richfield Oil Co.
ARCO
Atlantic Richfield Company is an oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic...
(since 2000 part of BP) through the 1966 merger of the Atlantic and Richfield oil companies and was Arco's chairman for two decades. Anderson used his clout to support an array of major cultural organizations, from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
to Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
. He died December 2, 2007 at his home in Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
.
Anderson turned Arco into the United States' sixth-largest oil company by the time he left in 1986 to pursue other interests. He was by then the largest individual landowner in the United States, with ranches and other holdings in 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...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
amounting to some 2000 square miles (5,180 km²) and a personal fortune estimated at $200 million.
Early life
Robert Orville Anderson was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on April 13, 1917, to the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
immigrants Hugo A. Anderson and Hilda Nelson. His father was a prominent banker who, Anderson often said, was the first banker in the U.S. "who loaned money on oil in the ground."
Robert attended the Laboratory Elementary and High Schools of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, and then studied there in college, majoring in economics and graduating in 1939. He was a member of the Omega chapter of the Psi Upsilon
Psi Upsilon
Psi Upsilon is the fifth oldest college fraternity in the United States, founded at Union College in 1833. It has chapters at colleges and universities throughout North America. For most of its history, Psi Upsilon, like most social fraternities, limited its membership to men only...
Fraternity. During summers, he worked on pipelines in Texas. After graduating, he worked for the American Mineral Spirits Company, a subsidiary of Pure Oil
Pure Oil
Pure Oil Company was an American petroleum company founded in 1914 and sold to what is now Union Oil Company of California in 1965. The Pure Oil name returned in 1993 as a cooperative which has grown to supply 350 members in 10 Southern states.-History:Three companies operating in the United...
. In 1941, his father helped him and his brothers buy a refinery in New Mexico.
Business
By 1950 Anderson owned several refineries, had built a pipeline system and had become a wildcatterWildcatter
A wildcatter is an American term for a person who drills wildcat wells, which are oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. A wildcatter notable for his success was Texan oil tycoon Glenn McCarthy....
. He entered the top ranks of independent oil producers in 1957 with a major find at the Empire-Abo field in New Mexico.
In 1963, Anderson merged his company into the Atlantic Refining Company of Philadelphia. In 1966, as Atlantic's chairman and chief executive, he merged with Richfield Oil of Los Angeles, forming ARCO
ARCO
Atlantic Richfield Company is an oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic...
. Headquarters were based in Dallas.
In 1967, he approved recommendations from ARCO
ARCO
Atlantic Richfield Company is an oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic...
, Alaska staff including geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
s Marvin Mangus
Marvin Mangus
Marvin Dale Mangus was an American geologist and landscape painter.- Early life :Marvin Mangus was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania. His father, Alfred Ross Mangus , initially worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Altoona, but later started Mangus Express Company, a small trucking company based in...
and John M. Sweet. His approval led to Arco's discovery of still the largest oil field yet found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
at Prudhoe Bay
Prudhoe Bay oil field
Prudhoe Bay Oil Field is a large oil field on Alaska's North Slope. It is the largest oil field in both the United States and in North America, covering and originally containing approximately of oil.. BP. August 2006...
on Alaska's North Slope. That oil field has produced billions of barrels of crude and accounts for a fifth of domestic oil production. Soon after, due to the wealth gained by the finding of Prudhoe Bay oil, he merged again with Sinclair Oil
Sinclair Oil
Sinclair Oil Corporation is an American petroleum corporation, founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916 as the Sinclair Oil & Refining Corporation by combining the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. Originally a New York corporation, Sinclair Oil reincorporated in Wyoming in 1976...
, forming the United States' seventh-biggest oil company.
Anderson led Arco's move from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Los Angeles in 1972, when it opened the landmark ARCO Plaza or Atlantic Richfield Plaza at 5th and Flower streets. The company's twin 51-story towers raised the downtown's skyline considerably.
Anderson's long-time friendship with Herbert Bayer
Herbert Bayer
Herbert Bayer was an Austrian American graphic designer, painter, photographer, sculptor, art director, environmental & interior designer, and architect, who was widely recognized as the last living member of the Bauhaus and was instrumental in the development of the Atlantic Richfield Company's...
, who at the time was the last surviving member of the Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
, led to Anderson's interest and eventual passion for Contemporary Art. A compulsive collector, his personal collection spilled over into his offices. By the time he and ARCO moved to LA, "ARCO's Corporate Art Collection" had grown to more than 3,000 works, consisting of original paintings, drawings, sculpture, limited edition prints and signed photographs.
The centerpiece of the Bauhaus-inspired Arco Plaza is the magnificent Sculpture Fountain designed by Bayer, entitled Double Ascension. It was said to have been named by Anderson with Bayer present. Apparently Anderson laughed out loud when he first heard the original title (saying he loved it, but doubted "the Board Members & Shareholders would appreciate a sculpture titled Stairs to Nowhere").
ARCO's nationwide Art Collection grew to over 30,000 original pieces under the direction of Herbert Bayer and Leila L. Mehle, the Corporate Art Curator. A large part of the collection was housed in the ANACONDA Tower in Denver (built by ARCO upon their purchase of the Anaconda Copper
Anaconda Copper
Anaconda Copper Mining Company was one of the largest trusts of the early 20th century. The Anaconda was purchased by Atlantic Richfield Company on January 12, 1977...
mining concern in the late 1970s).
Under Mehle's direction, ARCO was the first company or collection to utilize computer data-entry to keep track of and inventory a major art collection. This Mehle to direct rotating the collection, giving the ARCO offices a "gallery feel" with a near-monthly change of key art works in common areas in the offices. No matter how small the office, a framed graphic, print or photograph was on display.
When asked why a Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
company should invest in modern art, Anderson replied: "Because I like it. It makes you think. I didn't get where I am because I took the same path as everyone else. One of the reasons ARCO is successful is that I encourage my people to look at all issues from every possible angle. That's one of the many reasons Contemporary Art is beneficial to society. It inspires you to think outside the box
Thinking outside the box
Thinking outside the box is to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking....
and use your imagination. If you examine a problem closely and think about all the possible solutions, you'll come up with the best possible answer. That's part of what made ARCO a success."
Always a visionary, Anderson also led the seven-company effort to develop the Alaskan oil pipeline
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
The Trans Alaska Pipeline System , includes the Trans Alaska Pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. TAPS is one of the world's largest pipeline systems...
in 1974.
From 1966 to 1982, through acquisitions and strategic diversification, Anderson grew ARCO's revenues 20-fold (from $1 billion to over $20 billion). In 1985, with crude oil prices set to plunge and hostile corporate takeovers in the offing, Anderson led a major restructuring of Arco.
Anderson left Arco in 1986 to form Hondo Oil & Gas Company, Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
, where he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from September 1986 to February 1994.
Philanthropy
He rescued two flailing publications, The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, and Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
. He persuaded Arco's board to purchase the Observer in 1977 when it was nearly bankrupt. He called it "a modest bet on the survival of England." In 1980, Arco saved Harper's with a pledge of $1.5 million, which was matched by a similar amount from the MacArthur Foundation.
Anderson guided Arco to play an important civic and philanthropic role in Los Angeles. The company donated $3 million toward the cost of a new building at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
. The building, which opened in 1986, was named for Anderson (it is now the Art of the Americas Building).
Anderson served as chairman of the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies
Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies. The organization is dedicated to "fostering enlightened leadership, the appreciation of timeless ideas and values, and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues." The...
, which convenes business executives and others to discuss world problems. He helped found the Worldwatch Institute in Washington to monitor global environmental trends, the International Institute for Environment and Development
International Institute for Environment and Development
The International Institute for Environment and Development is a London-based policy research centre and think tank.- History :IIED was established by the economist Barbara Ward in 1971...
in London to study environmental and food issues and the John Muir Institute of the Environment in Davis, California
Davis, California
Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
Legacy and honors
- He was a lifetime trustee of the California Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of TechnologyThe California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
and the University of Chicago. - 1974, the University of New MexicoUniversity of New MexicoThe University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
's Robert O. Anderson School of Management was named after him. - 1986, the new building at the Los Angeles County Museum of ArtLos Angeles County Museum of ArtThe Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
was named for him (it is now the Art of Americas Building). - 1986, inducted into Junior Achievement's "U.S. Business Hall of Fame".
Further reading
- "Robert O. Anderson", University of New Mexico, Robert O. Anderson School of Management
- Aspen Institute announcement of Anderson's death
External links
- Obituary: "Robert O. Anderson", The Times (UK), 10 December 2007