Lyman Stewart

Lyman Stewart
Lyman Stewart
Born	Template:Birth date; Cherrytree, Venango County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	September 28, 1923 (aged 83)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
Known for	Founder of Union Oil Company of California; Christian benefactor; co-founder of Bible Institute of Los Angeles (Biola University)

Lyman Stewart (July 22, 1840 – September 28, 1923) was an American entrepreneur and one of the founders of the Union Oil Company of California. Beyond his business pursuits, Stewart was a notable Christian benefactor and played a key role in establishing the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (presently known as Biola University). Alongside his brother Milton, he provided anonymous financial support for The Fundamentals, a seminal publication in Christian fundamentalism. Stewart also contributed to founding the Union Rescue Mission located in Los Angeles.

Early life

Stewart was born in 1840 in Cherrytree, Venango County, Pennsylvania, to parents William Reynolds Stewart and Jane Miller Irwin. His early career involved working in his father’s tanning enterprise. Following Edwin Drake’s 1859 oil discovery near Titusville, Pennsylvania, Stewart attempted to drill wells locally but encountered two unsuccessful attempts. He later served three years with the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry during the American Civil War.

Oil career

After the war, Stewart returned to oil drilling efforts without immediate success until 1877, when he formed a partnership with Wallace Hardison who provided capital investment. Together they acquired land for oil exploration and experienced modest achievements. As John D. Rockefeller consolidated oil assets in the eastern United States, Hardison and Stewart sold their stakes to Standard Oil and moved their operations to California.

Their California enterprise prospered significantly. By 1886, the Hardison and Stewart Oil Company represented approximately 15% of the state’s oil output. In 1890, they combined their interests with those of Thomas Bard and Paul Calonico to create the Union Oil Company. Serving as Union Oil’s president, Stewart pursued an aggressive expansion strategy by investing heavily in new drilling projects and increasing the company’s market value from $10 million in 1900 to beyond $50 million by 1908.

Philanthropy

In 1891, Stewart established the Pacific Gospel Mission, which is now known as the Union Rescue Mission. Along with Christian writer T.C. Horton, he co-founded the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in 1908 (currently Biola University).

In 1917, Stewart contributed $4,500 toward constructing Stewart Hall at Toccoa Falls College.

Together with his brother Milton, Stewart donated $300,000 to finance the publication of the twelve-volume work "Christian Fundamentals," which became influential in shaping Christian Fundamentalism. Their philanthropic efforts also extended to supporting missionary activities in China.

Personal life

On May 2, 1867, Lyman Stewart married Sarah Adalaide BURROWS in Enterprise, Pennsylvania. The couple had three children: William L., May, and Alfred C. Both sons were involved in the oil business from an early age. William gained experience across all roles at Union Oil before succeeding his father as president. Alfred developed technical expertise within Union Oil by inventing drilling equipment; he later established an automotive machine shop and created innovations related to carburetors. Sarah passed away on February 5, 1912, in Los Angeles. On August 26, 1916, Lyman wed Lula May Crowell—his private secretary for over a decade and a graduate of BIOLA—who was deeply committed to supporting the institute’s mission.

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