David Harold Byrd
David Harold "Dry Hole" Byrd | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 24, 1900 Detroit, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | September 14, 1986 (aged 86) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Petroleum entrepreneur, aviation pioneer |
| Known for | Founding member of the Civil Air Patrol; co-founder of Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) |
David Harold "Dry Hole" Byrd (April 24, 1900 – September 14, 1986) was a distinguished petroleum entrepreneur from Texas and a founding member of the Civil Air Patrol. His cousin, the renowned explorer Richard E. Byrd, honored him by naming the Harold Byrd Mountains in Antarctica after him.
Personal background
Byrd, born in Detroit, Texas, was the youngest child among eight siblings and spent his formative years in Texas and Oklahoma. He pursued geology studies at the University of Texas between 1919 and 1921, having previously attended Trinity University (Texas) in 1917. Early in his professional journey, he gained experience working in oilfields such as Burkburnett and Santa Anna, Texas.
He married twice: initially to Mattie Caruth in 1935, with whom he had two sons, David Harold Byrd Jr. and Caruth Clark Byrd. Following her passing, he wed Mavis Barnett Heath in 1974. Mavis was the widow of William Womack Heath; both were influential figures connected to President Lyndon B. Johnson and instrumental in founding the LBJ Library at the University of Texas.
Byrd passed away in Dallas on September 14, 1986.
Oil business career
Following graduation, Byrd gained employment with H.E. Humphreys and served as a geological scout for multiple firms including Old Dominion Oil Company. In 1925, he transitioned to independent consultancy and drilling based in Brownwood, Texas. His reputation as "Dry Hole" stemmed from drilling 56 wells that yielded no oil. Nevertheless, on May 28, 1928, he successfully drilled two wells producing substantial quantities of oil priced at $3 per barrel.
In 1931, Byrd partnered with Jack Frost to establish Byrd-Frost Incorporated, overseeing 492 wells in East Texas that averaged a daily output of 4,000 barrels. During the 1930s, he acquired the Texas School Book Depository property in Dallas, later infamous for its association with the JFK assassination.
Aviation business
Byrd cultivated a keen interest in aviation and was appointed by Governor James V. Allred to the Texas Civil Aeronautics Commission in 1938. He played a pivotal role in founding the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in 1941 and led its anti-submarine operations center at Beaumont during World War II. After the war, he contributed to CAP’s formal recognition as an Air Force Auxiliary, launched the International Air Cadet Exchange, and championed scholarship programs for cadets. In recognition of his dedicated service to CAP, Byrd was awarded the US Air Force's Air Force Scroll of Appreciation in 1963.
LTV
In 1944, Byrd established Byrd Oil Corporation along with B.H. Drilling Corporation; Byrd Oil Corporation was eventually sold to Mobil Oil. He founded Three States Natural Gas Company in 1952, which he sold in 1961 to Delhi-Taylor Oil Corporation. Utilizing the capital from this sale, Byrd co-founded Temco Aircraft, which merged with electronics firm led by James Ling and Chance Vought Corporation in 1961 to create Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).
Books
- I'm an Endangered Species: The Autobiography of a Free Enterpriser, Pacesetter Press, 1978,