Robert M. McFarlin

Robert M. McFarlin
Born	Ovilla, Texas, U.S.
Died	August 11, 1942(1942-08-11) (aged 76) Kansas City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, oil industry pioneer, cattle rancher, philanthropist
Known for	Oil drilling operations near Glenpool, Oklahoma; founding Holdenville Oil and Gas Company and McMan Oil Company; philanthropy in Oklahoma and Texas

Robert M. McFarlin (July 27, 1866 – August 11, 1942) was a prominent American entrepreneur, oil industry pioneer, cattle rancher, and philanthropist. He amassed significant wealth through oil drilling operations near Glenpool, Oklahoma, working closely with his nephew and son-in-law, James A. Chapman. McFarlin played a crucial role in positioning Oklahoma as a central player in the early 20th-century oil sector.

Early life

McFarlin was born to Porter and Caroline McFarlin in Ovilla, Texas. In 1886, he married Ida Barnard. The couple relocated to Norman—then part of the Oklahoma Territory—in 1890, where they engaged in cattle farming and operated a feed store. After the tragic loss of their only son, they moved in 1895 to a farm near Holdenville within Indian Territory.

Business activities

In 1903, McFarlin partnered with Chapman to create the Holdenville Oil and Gas Company, securing holdings within the Glenn Pool oil field. With the 1912 discovery of the expansive Cushing Oil Field, they founded the McMan Oil Company, which they later sold to Magnolia Petroleum Company in 1916 for $39 million. That same year, McFarlin commissioned the construction of the McFarlin Building at Fifth and Main in Tulsa; this structure still serves as an office building today. In 1918, they established the McMan Oil and Gas Company, which was acquired by Dixie Oil Company—a subsidiary of Standard Oil Company of Indiana—for $20 million in 1922. The McFarlin Building earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

In addition to his oil ventures, McFarlin co-founded the Exchange National Bank of Tulsa in 1910 alongside Harry Sinclair and others. This institution eventually became the National Bank of Tulsa and is currently known as the Bank of Oklahoma (BOK).

Philanthropy

McFarlin devoted much of his charitable efforts to supporting religious institutions and higher education. Notable donations include:

The establishment of McFarlin College as a Methodist-affiliated school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which merged with Henry Kendall College in 1920 to form what is now the University of Tulsa. In 1929, he gifted $450,000 for the construction of the McFarlin Library on campus, which remains operational today.

In response to a fundraising campaign by the Methodist Church South in Norman during 1924, the McFarlins contributed $600,000 toward building a new church and created an endowment for its upkeep. The resulting McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church in Norman, Oklahoma stands as a testament to their support.

The family also donated $600,000 in 1925 for the creation of McFarlin Auditorium at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

McFarlin House

The family residence located at 1610 S. Carson Ave., Tulsa, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 25, 1979 (NRIS #79002031).

Personal and family

Robert McFarlin was wed to Ida May Barnard, who passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage and was interred at IOOF Cemetery in Norman, Oklahoma. Robert died on August 11, 1942, in Kansas City and was buried there as well. The couple had three children—two daughters and one son; their son Robert Boger died during infancy. Their daughter Leta Mae married Robert’s nephew and business associate Chapman in 1908. Both Robert and Ida were inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1935.

Bibliography

• Tyson, Carl N. The McMan: Biographies of Robert M. McFarlin and James A. Chapman. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press (1977).