Eugene Holman

ExxonMobile Corporation, 1916

Born May 2, 1895 in San Angelo, Eugene Holman grew up in Monahans, Texas and enrolled in Simmons College after graduating from high school.

Holman graduated from Simmons in 1916 and went on to the University of Texas, where he studied geology, earning an M.A. degree. Following his studies, he worked for the Texas Company in Cuba, served in the aerial photography division of the United States Army Signal corps in World War I, and worked for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey before joining the young Humble Oil and Refinery Company (now ExxonMobil Corporation), an affiliate of Standard Oil.

He was married in 1923 to Edith Carver Reid. They had two children and moved to New York City in 1929 where he became a member of Standard’s exploration and production staff at the age of 33. Holman was elected a vice president in 1942 and president of the company in 1944. He served on the Petroleum Administration for the War Council during World War II. In December of 1945 he was named chairman of the executive committee of Standard Oil, the largest oil company in the world. He held the position of Chief Executive until his retirement in 1960.

Holman’s career was marked with awards and honors. In 1947, his picture appeared on the cover of Time magazine. He received a distinguished service award from the Texas Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association in 1948, was given the first Texan of Distinction Award by the State Fair of Texas in 1952, received the Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement from the American Petroleum Institute in 1960, and was awarded the Vermilye Medal for “outstanding contributions” in industrial management, from the Franklin Institute in 1961.

Eugene Holman died at the age of 67, on August 12, 1962.

Inducted on April 5, 2002.