Thomas H. Friedkin

Thomas Hoyt Friedkin
Thomas Hoyt Friedkin
Born	29 August 1935 (age 91)
Died	14 March 2017 (aged 81)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, aviator, stunt performer
Known for	Founder of Gulf States Toyota Distributors

Thomas Hoyt Friedkin (August 29, 1935 – March 14, 2017) was a prominent American entrepreneur, aviator, and stunt performer who established Gulf States Toyota Distributors.

Early life

Thomas Friedkin was born to Jean and Kenny Friedkin, the latter being a World War II combat pilot and instructor with the British Royal Air Force. After the war, his father founded Friedkin Aeronautics, a flight training school located in San Diego, California, and in 1949 launched Pacific Southwest Airlines starting with a single leased DC-3. By 1958, PSA was transporting nearly 300,000 passengers annually. Thomas began flying at a young age and joined PSA as a pilot in 1962.

Following the unexpected passing of his father in 1962 and his mother shortly after PSA's public offering in 1963, Friedkin became the company’s largest shareholder. Despite holding a position on the Board of Directors, he continued working full-time as a pilot. PSA operated until 1988, achieving revenues of $500 million before its acquisition by US Airways for $400 million; Friedkin personally earned $3.4 million from the sale.

Career

During the 1960s, Friedkin’s enthusiasm for auto racing connected him with Carroll Shelby, who declined an opportunity to become a Toyota distributor. Through Shelby’s introduction, Friedkin went on to establish Gulf States Toyota Distributors (GST), growing it into a multibillion-dollar enterprise. GST supplies Toyota, Scion, and Lexus vehicles and parts to roughly 150 dealerships across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Representing nearly 13% of Toyota's U.S. sales, GST operates as a fully owned subsidiary under the Friedkin Group. In 2008, GST was ranked 53rd on Forbes list of America's Largest Private Companies with estimated revenues totaling $5.7 billion.

The GST headquarters situated in western Houston encompasses a campus featuring two office towers linked by a concourse, an eight-level parking structure, and a training facility that houses Gulf States Marketing and Financial Services departments. GST remains one of only two privately held Toyota distributors in the United States, alongside Southeast Toyota Distributors, which was founded by billionaire Jim Moran.

By 2001, Tom Friedkin had transferred day-to-day management of the holding company and its workforce of approximately 3,000 employees to his son Dan Friedkin, while retaining his roles as chairman and advisor. He expressed to Forbes, "I am not a greedy person, and I don't have to make the last dollar there ever was."

Automobiles

From 1965 through 1969, Friedkin owned Grand National racing teams with drivers such as Jim Paschal and Bobby Allison, who achieved moderate success. He partnered with Bill Thomas of Bill Thomas Race Cars to construct one of the earliest sprint cup vehicles for Friedkin Enterprises in 1965—a 1965 Impala equipped with a concealed 396 Chevrolet big block engine bored out to 427 cubic inches. His close associate Carroll Shelby, renowned for the Shelby Cobra and Shelby Mustang, declined Toyota’s distributor offer in 1968 after counsel from Lee Iacocca.

Power sports

Friedkin co-owned the hydroplane known as the Miss Budweiser alongside Bernie Little; this vessel secured victories at the American Power Boat Association Gold Cup Races in the years 1969, 1970, and 1973.

Aircraft

Friedkin possessed a collection of historic military aircraft, which included a North American F-86F Sabre, a MiG-15 formerly operated by the Chinese Air Force, a Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, and the Grumman F4F Wildcat produced by General Motors. Numerous planes from his collection were featured in various film and television projects. Significantly, he chose to personally pilot his F4U Corsair during the production of the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep. Friedkin held memberships in both the Screen Actors Guild and the Motion Picture Pilots Association.

Big-game hunting

Driven by a dedication to wildlife preservation and an enthusiasm for big-game hunting, Friedkin founded Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris in 1989. The income generated from these safari ventures supports the Friedkin Conservation Fund, which partners with Tanzanian authorities to safeguard 3.2 million acres against poaching and unauthorized exploitation of natural resources.

Charitable activities

In 2005, The Friedkin Group, owner of Gulf States Toyota, contributed $2 million to establish the Friedkin Disaster Relief Fund, providing assistance to Hurricane Katrina survivors employed by Toyota and its dealership network. The family's wider philanthropic initiatives are overseen by the Friedkin Foundation.

Private life

Friedkin wed Susan Wille in 1961, and together they had four children, including Dan Friedkin, who currently leads the family-controlled Friedkin Group that owns Gulf States Toyota. Friedkin died on March 14, 2017, following a short illness.

Film and television appearances

Friedkin participated as both a pilot and actor in numerous motion pictures:

Pilot crew roles: The Cat from Outer Space (1978), Uncommon Valor (1983), Police Academy 4 (1987), Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Acting parts: The Gauntlet (1977), Blue Thunder (1983), Pale Rider (1985), The Rookie (1990)
Stunt performances: Heartbeeps (1981), Mulholland Falls (1996)

He was also acknowledged with special thanks in the film Firefox (1982).

External links