William Larimer Mellon Sr.

William Larimer Mellon Sr.
Born	Template:Birth date Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	October 9, 1949(1949-10-09) (aged 81)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, businessman, politician
Known for	Founding partner of Gulf Oil; chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party (1926–1928)

William Larimer Mellon Sr. (born June 1, 1868 – died October 9, 1949), often referred to as W. L., was a prominent American entrepreneur and a figure in Republican politics. As a founding partner of Gulf Oil, he was a member of the notable Mellon family based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In political circles, Mellon earned the reputation of being the "field marshal" overseeing the Mellon family's political endeavors before the era of the New Deal.

Early life and lineage

William Larimer Mellon entered the world in Pittsburgh on June 1, 1868, as the son of James Ross Mellon and Rachel Larimer. His paternal grandfather was Judge Thomas Mellon, while his maternal grandfather was William Larimer Jr., a distinguished railroad magnate and landowner.

Guided by his uncle Andrew Mellon, William L. Mellon married Mary Hill Taylor. They had four offspring: Matthew Taylor Mellon I, PhD, who served as an American Studies professor at the University of Freiburg from 1928 to 1939; Rachel Mellon Walton, known for her philanthropy and as the longest-tenured board member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Margaret Mellon Hitchcock; and William Larimer Mellon Jr., MD, a doctor and humanitarian who established a medical mission in Haiti.

In the early twentieth century, William Mellon acquired the Vagabondia, a vessel described variously as a "sleek black yacht" or "houseboat." The yacht attracted attention when his uncle Andrew W. Mellon utilized it during his service as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

Career in business and politics

During the 1880s, William L. Mellon showed interest in Pennsylvania’s expanding petroleum industry, though he initially focused on railroad construction before selling his fledgling oil enterprise to John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil in 1895.

Following the discovery at Spindletop, Texas, in 1901, the Mellon family invested in an oil well there, prompting William to reengage with the oil sector. He was dispatched to Texas in 1902 to evaluate the well’s production decline and progressively assumed greater managerial responsibilities.

In January 1907, he played a key role in founding Gulf Oil Corporation, which constructed a pipeline linking Oklahoma to Port Arthur, Texas, enabling crude oil shipments by September that year. Gulf Oil grew consistently, eventually ranking among the largest oil companies in the United States.

Mellon also participated actively in Republican politics. In 1924, he appeared before Senate Borah Committee hearings investigating over $3.4 million in alleged Republican spending aimed at influencing federal matters. He later served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party from 1926 through 1928.

He concluded his tenure at Gulf Oil with retirement in 1948.

Philanthropic contributions and enduring impact

In 1939, William L. Mellon Sr. established The W. L. and May T. Mellon Foundation. A decade later, in 1949, he contributed six million dollars to create the graduate school of industrial administration at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh—today known as the David A. Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.

The Tepper School inaugurated The W.L. Mellon Society in 1997 to promote individual and corporate matching gift donations that support its ongoing operations.

Death, funeral and interment

William L. Mellon, Sr., who was preceded in death by his wife Mary (Taylor) Mellon, passed away at his residence at the age of 81 on October 9, 1949. The funeral took place at the family's Pittsburgh home, and he was laid to rest in Homewood Cemetery.

Resolution of his estate

Following Mellon's passing, his substantial estate was apportioned equally among his four offspring. Trusts were created for each child after settling estate taxes, with $100,000 designated for his son-in-law and $75,000 allocated to his personal employees. By 1954, with the estate's value diminished from $23.2 million to a net amount of $6.15 million due to taxes and administrative expenses, each heir received $246,317.

External links

• Morris, Sue. The Mellon Family, in "Quiet, pleasant and self-possessed: Sarah Jane Negley Mellon." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Historical Dilettante, May 28, 2015.