William Skelly
Encyclopedia
William Grove Skelly often known as Bill or William G. Skelly, was an entrepreneur who made a fortune in the oil business. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania
, he moved to Kansas in 1916, then to Tulsa, Oklahoma
in 1919, where he founded Skelly Oil Company. By 1923, his company was one of the strongest independent producers of oil and gasoline in the United States. He helped organize the first International Petroleum Exposition in Tulsa in 1923, and became president of that organization, a position he held for the rest of his life.
Skelly became an active promoter of the aviation industry, though he was not a pilot himself. In 1926, he purchased the financially-struggling Mid-Continent Aircraft Company and turned it into the successful Spartan Aircraft Company
. In 1928, he led the fundraising to build the Tulsa Municipal Airport. In 1929, he opened the Spartan School of Aeronautics
.
Skelly was active in other civic projects. He donated funds to Tulsa University for a football stadium in 1930, and for the first FM radio station in Oklahoma in 1947.
. Soon, he became a tool dresser in the Venango fields.
In 1898, the Spanish-American War
broke out. Skelly enlisted in the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers and participated in the Battle of Coamo in Puerto Rico
. After the war, he became manager of the Citizens Gas Company in Gas City, Indiana
, where he learned how the technology of transporting and controlling natural gas through pipelines.
in 1916, where he began operating his Midland Refining Company in 1917. In 1919, he incorporated Skelly Oil Company and moved his headquarters to Tulsa, Oklahoma
.
In 1923, while serving as president of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Skelly helped organize the first International Petroleum Exposition (IPE). This was a trade fair that attracted oil producers and equipment manufacturers from all over the country. He became president of the IPE in 1925 and held that position for the rest of his life.
. In 1929, he opened the Spartan School of Aeronautics
to train pilots and mechanics. The school also facilitated sales of Spartan aircraft. In 1935, Skelly sold the manufacturing business to J. Paul Getty
. Skelly retained ownership of the school.
In 1927, Skelly obtained signatures from several prominent Tulsa businessmen put up $172,000 to buy 390 acres (178 hectares) of land for use as a municipal airport. It was dedicated and officially opened July 3, 1928. The city of Tulsa purchased the airport, then named Tulsa Municipal Airport, in 1929, and put its supervision under the Tulsa Park Board.
), which became a powerful clear-channel station known as the "Voice of Oklahoma". He provided the funding for the University of Tulsa
's radio station, founded in 1947 and named KWGS
in his honor. In 1954, Skelly, Senator Robert S. Kerr
and Dean A. McGee founded television station, KVOO-TV (now KJRH-TV).
Many of Skelly's accomplishments survived him. The IPE had its peak attendance in 1966 and continued to be held in Tulsa until 1979.
In 1952, the 51st Street Bypass, the highway through south Tulsa that connects the Turner Turnpike
and the Will Rogers Turnpike
(now part of Interstate 44
), was named Skelly Drive in William Skelly's honor.
Skelly was the primary benefactor for Skelly Field, the football
stadium at the University of Tulsa, which opened in 1930. Later renamed Skelly Stadium, at one time it seated 40,385. Renovated in 2007-2008, it was renamed Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium and now seats 30,000.
Spartan School of Aeronautics
still exists as Spartan College of Aeronautics.
The Skelly mansion has been added to the National Registry of Historic Places and survives to the present.
Skellytown, Texas
is a town named for him. ,
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, he moved to Kansas in 1916, then to Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
in 1919, where he founded Skelly Oil Company. By 1923, his company was one of the strongest independent producers of oil and gasoline in the United States. He helped organize the first International Petroleum Exposition in Tulsa in 1923, and became president of that organization, a position he held for the rest of his life.
Skelly became an active promoter of the aviation industry, though he was not a pilot himself. In 1926, he purchased the financially-struggling Mid-Continent Aircraft Company and turned it into the successful Spartan Aircraft Company
Spartan Aircraft Company
The Spartan Aircraft Company was an American aircraft manufacturing company formerly known as Mid-Continent Aircraft Company and reorganized under the Spartan name in 1928 by oil baron William G. Skelly in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The manufacturing plant was on Sheridan Avenue near the Tulsa Municipal...
. In 1928, he led the fundraising to build the Tulsa Municipal Airport. In 1929, he opened the Spartan School of Aeronautics
Spartan School of Aeronautics
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology is a private college in Tulsa, Oklahoma that offers training in aviation and aircraft maintenance. Originally established to augment sales of Spartan Aircraft Company, it outlived its parent company and continues to train pilots and mechanics into the...
.
Skelly was active in other civic projects. He donated funds to Tulsa University for a football stadium in 1930, and for the first FM radio station in Oklahoma in 1947.
Early life
Bill Skelly was one of six children born to William and Mary Jane Sweatman Skelly. He began earning money by selling newspapers while he was still in grammar school. Finishing public school at age fourteen, he attended a business school for a year. After completing the business course, he worked with his father hauling oil well supplies to oil fields in Venango County, PennsylvaniaVenango County, Pennsylvania
Venango County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,984. Its county seat is Franklin.-History:Venango County was created on March 12, 1800 from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties...
. Soon, he became a tool dresser in the Venango fields.
In 1898, the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
broke out. Skelly enlisted in the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers and participated in the Battle of Coamo in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. After the war, he became manager of the Citizens Gas Company in Gas City, Indiana
Gas City, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,940 people, 2,393 households, and 1,643 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,599.2 people per square mile . There were 2,497 housing units at an average density of 672.3 per square mile...
, where he learned how the technology of transporting and controlling natural gas through pipelines.
Career in oil and gas production
Observing the fortunes made by others during the oil booms of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, Skelly decided to become an independent producer. After a brief stay in Texas, he moved to El Dorado, KansasEl Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado is a city situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County, located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Butler County...
in 1916, where he began operating his Midland Refining Company in 1917. In 1919, he incorporated Skelly Oil Company and moved his headquarters to Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
.
In 1923, while serving as president of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Skelly helped organize the first International Petroleum Exposition (IPE). This was a trade fair that attracted oil producers and equipment manufacturers from all over the country. He became president of the IPE in 1925 and held that position for the rest of his life.
Skelly and aviation
In 1928, Skelly purchased the struggling Mid-Continent Aircraft Company, which had a manufacturing plant in Tulsa. He reorganized it under the name Spartan Aircraft CompanySpartan Aircraft Company
The Spartan Aircraft Company was an American aircraft manufacturing company formerly known as Mid-Continent Aircraft Company and reorganized under the Spartan name in 1928 by oil baron William G. Skelly in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The manufacturing plant was on Sheridan Avenue near the Tulsa Municipal...
. In 1929, he opened the Spartan School of Aeronautics
Spartan School of Aeronautics
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology is a private college in Tulsa, Oklahoma that offers training in aviation and aircraft maintenance. Originally established to augment sales of Spartan Aircraft Company, it outlived its parent company and continues to train pilots and mechanics into the...
to train pilots and mechanics. The school also facilitated sales of Spartan aircraft. In 1935, Skelly sold the manufacturing business to J. Paul Getty
J. Paul Getty
Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist. He founded the Getty Oil Company, and in 1957 Fortune magazine named him the richest living American, whilst the 1966 Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen, worth an estimated $1,200 million. At his death, he was...
. Skelly retained ownership of the school.
In 1927, Skelly obtained signatures from several prominent Tulsa businessmen put up $172,000 to buy 390 acres (178 hectares) of land for use as a municipal airport. It was dedicated and officially opened July 3, 1928. The city of Tulsa purchased the airport, then named Tulsa Municipal Airport, in 1929, and put its supervision under the Tulsa Park Board.
Radio and Television
In 1928, Skelly bought radio station KVOO-AM (now KFAQKFAQ
KFAQ is a news/talk radio station in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area. The station is owned by Journal Broadcast Group and airs a mix of local and national talk shows. The station is an ABC News Radio affiliate...
), which became a powerful clear-channel station known as the "Voice of Oklahoma". He provided the funding for the University of Tulsa
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
's radio station, founded in 1947 and named KWGS
KWGS
KWGS 89.5 FM is a National Public Radio station in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The station was Oklahoma's first FM radio station and is one of two stations operated by the University of Tulsa. The station was established in 1947 through the initiative of TU speech professor Ben Graf Henneke, later president...
in his honor. In 1954, Skelly, Senator Robert S. Kerr
Robert S. Kerr
Robert Samuel Kerr was an American businessman from Oklahoma. Kerr formed a petroleum company before turning to politics. He served as the 12th Governor of Oklahoma and was elected three times to the United States Senate...
and Dean A. McGee founded television station, KVOO-TV (now KJRH-TV).
Death
William G. Skelly died in Tulsa on April 11, 1957. He was survived by his wife, Gertrude, and two daughters. He was interred at Rose Hill Cemetery in Tulsa. Gertrude was interred beside him after her death October 8, 1959.Legacy
In 1952, the 51st Street Bypass, the highway through south Tulsa that connects the Turner Turnpike
Turner Turnpike
The Governor Roy J. Turner Turnpike is a toll road in central Oklahoma, connecting its two largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It was authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1947 and opened in May, 1953, it is the oldest of the state's ten turnpikes. The route is signed as Interstate 44 for...
and the Will Rogers Turnpike
Will Rogers Turnpike
The Will Rogers Turnpike is a toll road in northeast Oklahoma that runs from Tulsa, Oklahoma to the Missouri state line. It is long and costs $4.00 to drive one way...
(now part of Interstate 44
Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
), was named Skelly Drive in William Skelly's honor.
Skelly was the primary benefactor for Skelly Field, the football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium at the University of Tulsa, which opened in 1930. Later renamed Skelly Stadium, at one time it seated 40,385. Renovated in 2007-2008, it was renamed Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium and now seats 30,000.
Spartan School of Aeronautics
Spartan School of Aeronautics
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology is a private college in Tulsa, Oklahoma that offers training in aviation and aircraft maintenance. Originally established to augment sales of Spartan Aircraft Company, it outlived its parent company and continues to train pilots and mechanics into the...
still exists as Spartan College of Aeronautics.
The Skelly mansion has been added to the National Registry of Historic Places and survives to the present.
Skellytown, Texas
Skellytown, Texas
Skellytown is a town in Carson County, Texas, United States. The population was 610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Amarillo, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was named for oilman William G...
is a town named for him. ,