Roy M. Huffington
Roy Michael Huffington | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 October 1917 Tomball, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | 11 July 2008 (aged 90) Venice, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Oil executive, diplomat |
| Years active | 1946–2008 |
| Known for | Founder of Roy M. Huffington, Inc.; U.S. Ambassador to Austria |
Roy Michael Huffington (October 4, 1917 – July 11, 2008) was a prominent American oil executive originating from Tomball, Texas, who later held the position of United States Ambassador to Austria.
Early career
Huffington was born in Tomball, Texas. He completed his undergraduate studies at Southern Methodist University and pursued graduate education in geology at Harvard University, earning both MA and PhD degrees. During World War II (1942–1945), he served as an ensign and later as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy. After the war, in 1946, he returned to Texas to begin his career as a field geologist with Humble Oil, which is now known as Exxon.
HUFFCO
In 1956, Huffington established Roy M. Huffington, Inc. (commonly referred to as Huffco), an independent firm specializing in oil and natural gas exploration with operations spanning internationally. A decade later, in 1966, Huffco entered into a production sharing agreement with Pertamina to explore oil reserves within the Kutai Basin located in the Mahakam River delta of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Although initially concentrating on oil extraction, the company uncovered a vast natural gas deposit at Badak Field in 1972. Subsequently, Huffco collaborated with Pertamina to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Bontang, which began exporting shipments by August 1977—merely five years following the discovery.
Later career
By 1990, all assets of the company were sold to Taiwan’s Chinese Petroleum Corporation, leading to Huffco's rebranding as VICO. Between 1990 and 1993, Huffington was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Austria during President George Herbert Walker Bush’s administration. Following his diplomatic service, he returned to Houston and resumed leadership as chairman and CEO of Roy M. Huffington, Inc., continuing its operations as an independent international energy company.
Philanthropy
During his tenure as ambassador, Huffington became a member of the Board for the Salzburg Global Seminar, an international policy organization, serving as chairman from 1994 until 2007. In addition, he led the New York-based Asia Society as chairman for seven years throughout the 1980s and founded the Huffington Foundation based in Houston. Alongside his wife Phyllis, he established the Huffington Center on Aging at the Baylor College of Medicine. His philanthropic contributions also extended to significant support for the Alpha Tau Omega Educational Foundation, which provides scholarships for college students.
Personal life
Roy Huffington and his wife Phyllis were parents to two children: Terry Dittman residing in Houston and Michael Huffington (born 1947), who served as a Republican U.S. representative from California between 1993 and 1995 and narrowly lost a Senate election in 1994. Michael was married to Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, from 1986 until their divorce in 1997. Roy Huffington passed away due to natural causes while in Venice, Italy.
Honors
- Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement (1986)
- John Rogers Award presented by the Institute for Energy Law (1987)
- Induction into the Texas Business Hall of Fame (1992)