Hugh Roy Cullen*
Class of 1955
- President Quintana Petroleum Corporation
My advice to young people is to have more faith-more faith in yourself, in your country, and in God.
Born in 1881 in Denton County, Texas, Hugh Roy Cullen was only four when his father deserted the family. Cullen dropped out of school in the fifth grade and started working in a candy factory to support his mother.
At age 18, he became a respected cotton buyer in Houston. Later, he became interested in the exploration of oil using the "creekology" method, which required digging deeper for oil. His search led to profitable discoveries.
In 1928, he formed the South Texas Petroleum Company. He sold his company to Humble and used the proceeds to start Quintana Petroleum in 1932. Within a year, he discovered the Tom O'Connor field, the largest oilfield in Texas.
In 1936, after his only son was killed by a falling oil derrick, Cullen funded a building in his son's name at the University of Houston. Eventually, he changed the school from having only one building to consisting of nine colleges with 45 buildings on 250 acres.
By the time of his death in 1957, Cullen had given away 93 percent of his fortune.