Mustang Roy M. Huffington Dead at 90

[MrMustang1965]

Huffington, Roy M. Age 90, of Houston, passed away
unexpectedly while traveling abroad on Friday, the
11th of July 2008. Funeral arrangements are to be
announced. Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors
Since 1936 Dignity 1010 bering Drive Houston TX 77057

[Mustang98]

Houston oilman, philanthropist Huffington dies


By ERIC HANSON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

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Houston oilman Roy M. Huffington, who started his career as a geologist for the Humble Oil Company and went on to found his own oil and gas firm before serving as ambassador to Austria, has died. He was 90 years old.

Huffington founded the Huffington Foundation, which donated millions of dollars to Houston charities, and also served as the chairman of the New York-based Asia Society for more than seven years in the 1980s.

His company, founded in 1956, struck a groundbreaking production-sharing contract with the government of Indonesia.

He and his wife, Phyllis, who died in 2003, established the Huffington Center on Aging at the Baylor College of Medicine.

In a February interview with the Chronicle, Huffington talked about the Indonesian deal.

"I was interested in Indonesia because no oil and gas exploration had been done there for a significant period of time. Fortunately, everything turned out to be very good. Major companies at that time didn't like production-sharing contracts. They wanted to own (the oil and gas) in the ground, but the Asians said no, you get your money back in a share of the profits. I got in at a very proper time. Whether it's war, love or business, you can lose the battle, the girl or the business deal, so my timing happened to be very good on that," he said.

He and his wife lived in New Mexico and Midland in the early years of their marriage, when Huffington worked for the Humble Oil and Refining Co. In 1951, they moved to Houston, where he later started his own oil exploration and production company, the Huffington Corp.

The company was sold for roughly $600 million in the early 1990s, after Huffington accepted the post as ambassador to Austria for the first President Bush, a longtime friend.

Huffington died Friday while traveling out of the country, according to a funeral home announcement.

Services are pending at George H. Lewis and Sons.

[Ponymon]

He was very generous to his alma mater having given over $31 million to SMU over his lifetime with $20 million coming just in the last two years:

http://tinyurl.com/5edlef

He kinda of looks like the Duke (John Wayne for the current generation) in the picture at the site doesn't he?

[MrMustang1965]

A great man whom I had the pleasure of meeting at a greater Houston Alpha Tau Omega alumni event several years ago. Huffington is an ATO from SMU.

[FordtoTolbert]

A great, passionate, honorable man of integrity...he will be missed. Roh Rah Regga.....

[MrMustang1965]

A great, passionate, honorable man of integrity...he will be missed. Roh Rah Regga.....

Pi Epsilon Pi.

[OC Mustang]

Roy Huffington was truly a legend. He was known as an alum who, during his time in Austria, would open his doors to any and all SMU students abroad in Austria. Neat guy.

Incidentally, a point of some trivia, he is father to Michael Huffington, who, if you recall, was the Republican nominee for US Senate in CA circa 1994, I believe. He was beaten soundly, however, not before spending the most in any Senate race at the time...approximately $35 million...from his own pocket.

Also incidentally, public gadfly extraordinaire Arianna Huffington is his former daughter-in-law. The name is probably the only thing she really banks on in terms of being someone that the media's equivalent of an expert witness.

Sorry I mentioned her in the same post as Mr. Huffington. He doesn't deserve that.

RIP Mr. Huffington. Thank you for all you have done for SMU and its students.

[MrMustang1965]

Official news release from SMU on Roy Huffington.

http://www.smu.edu/newsinfo/stories/roy ... ly2008.asp