Jack Sawtelle Blanton (December 7, 1927 - December 28, 2013) was an Americanoil industryexecutive,philanthropist, and civic leader.
He was born inShreveport, Louisiana, the son of William N. Blanton (June 23, 1890 – November 27, 1967) and Louise G. Wynn (September 21, 1898 – July 5, 1989). Blanton was raised inHouston, Texas, where his father was general manager of thechamber of commerce. After attendingLamar High School, Blanton earned aB.A. degree atUniversity of Texas at Austin (UT) in 1947 with adouble major in government and history, and anL.L.B. atUT Law School in 1950.[citation needed]
In 1950 Blanton began working forEddy C. Scurlock atScurlock Oil Company in the Division Order Department. He rose through the company ranks to become itspresident in 1958, and eventuallyCEO andchairman in 1983,[1] a year after the company was sold toAshland Oil. He retired from his position in 1988 to become the president of Eddy Refining Company, his final job.[2]
Blanton was married three times. He married Laura Lee Scurlock (June 4, 1928 – August 6, 1999), daughter of Eddy C. Scurlock; the Laura Lee Blanton Building atSouthern Methodist University is named for her. After her death, he married Lucinda B. Bailey (November 4, 1934 – March 2, 2002) on 14 November 2000. She also preceded Blanton in death; he and Virginia "Ginger" Nelson were married on November 30, 2002 (she survived his passing).[3] He and his first wife had three children: Elizabeth Louise Blanton (born February 1, 1951), Jack Sawtelle Blanton Jr. (born July 28, 1953), and Eddy Scurlock Blanton (born May 25, 1955).
Blanton was a civic leader in Houston, where he served as the chairman of the board ofHouston Endowment Inc. He also served on the boards ofThe Methodist Hospital Healthcare System, theTexas Medical Center, theHouston Zoo, and theJesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management atRice University, among others. From 1985 to 1991, he was aRegent of the University of Texas, appointed byGovernorMark White. He served as chairman from 1987 to 1989. During this time, Blanton had a hand in influencing theTexas Legislature to increase support for theUniversity of Texas System.
During theoil andreal estate crises of the 1980s, Blanton served as chairman of theGreater Houston Chamber of Commerce, where he notably helped resolve conflict with effective communication and good working relations.[citation needed]
In 1997, the University of Texas at Austin renamed itsart museum theBlanton Museum of Art in his honor after receiving a $12 million donation from Houston Endowment Inc.[3]
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