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Clint W. Murchison, Sr. was born April 11, 1895, in Tyler to John W. and Clara (Williams) Murchison. His grandfather, T.F. Murchison, was one of the earliest settlers to arrive in Athens and established the first bank in Henderson County in 1890. Following the death of T.F. Murchison, control of the bank passed to his sons. After a short stint at Trinity University in Waxahachie, Clint returned to Athens to assist with the family bank. Clint enlisted in the army and served stateside as a lieutenant during World War I. Discharged in 1919, Clint accepted an invitation from his friend and fellow Athenian Sid Richardson to join him as a lease trader in the booming Burkburnett oilfield near Wichita Falls. In 1920, Clint married Anne Morris from Tyler and they started a family, having three sons. After the tragic death of Anne in 1926, Clint decided to move to Dallas to continue wheeling and dealing. Nationally recognized companies that he founded included American Liberty Oil, Southern Union Gas, Delhi-Taylor, Florida gas and Trans-Canada pipelines. In 1943, Murchison married Virginia Long. They often returned to Athens and their beloved Glad Oaks Estate. He diversified his holdings into life insurance, banking, publishing, real estate, ranching and railroads. When his health began to deteriorate in the early 1960s, he retired to Glad Oaks, frequenting local cattle sales and inspecting his ranches in the area. He passed away in 1969. Clint Murchison, Sr. was one of the most significant oil magnates of the Texas oil boom. His influence reached not only the oil industry, but many other areas of business and commerce. |
