Charles E. Spahr
Encyclopedia
Charles E. "Charlie" Spahr (born October 8, 1913, Kansas City, Kansas
died April 7, 2009, Shaker Heights, Ohio
) is the youngest person to be appointed President in Sohio (Standard Oil of Ohio) history. He was then appointed as CEO of Sohio from 1959 to 1977, and was instrumental in the building of the Alaskan Pipeline.
, Spahr’s father worked at the nearby Sugar Creek refinery location of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana.
His grandfather, Moses Spahr, was a Methodist minister. When his father was in his teens, Moses was sent to minister in the Coffeyville, Kansas
area. Located on the southern Kansas border, Moses made this move prior to Oklahoma
becoming a state. It was still a rough region at that time; Moses Spahr preached against “whisky, murder, and mayhem.”
, with his Baccalaureate
in Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in 1934, he is shown to be a member of the Theta Tau
Professional Engineering Fraternity and of the Tau Beta Pi
Engineering Honor Society.
Spahr earned his way through college during the Great Depression
by binding books for the engineering program, and working as chauffeur for Chancellor Ernest Lindley. He would later give money to the University of Kansas, which helped fund the construction of a large classroom in the new School of Engineering building and Spahr Engineering Library for the University. Following his graduation from the University of Kansas
, he worked as a boiler operator at the Sugar Creek Refinery in Sugar Creek, Missouri
.
He then went to work for Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma
as an engineer, doing pipeline design and surveying. After three years, Spahr became interested in management. This proved to be a pivotal decision, as he then pursued his MBA at the Harvard Business School
, graduating in 1939.
, where he remained for the next 38 years. His first position was that of Pipeline Designer.
At Standard Oil, Spahr became Vice President of Transportation in 1951, in charge of barges, waterways, etc. In 1952, he served in the US government’s Petroleum Administration for Defense as director of the supply and transportation division.
In 1955, he became Sohio Executive Vice President of all operations other than oil production and exploration. Attaining the position of President in 1957, and in charge of all operations, Spahr was the youngest President in Sohio history. He was then awarded the position of Chief Executive Officer in 1959.
Spahr claimed that in his competition for the CEO position, the board was composed of employees of Sohio and members from outside of the company. The board announced their decision to interview an employee from inside the company, and a second member from outside. The board had decided to select the outside member, who was from an industry unrelated to petroleum. When they approached Spahr, he reputedly stated that if not he was not named as CEO, then he would seek employment elsewhere. The board changed its decision.
discovered oil in Alaska in 1968. In late 1968 and early 1969, Charlie Spahr began to work out the details of Sohio’s working relationship with British Petroleum (BP) in Prudhoe Bay. Prior to that agreement, Sohio produced only one barrel of oil out of four that they refined.
BP had substantial area in Prudhoe Bay, but had no American refineries, which they viewed as the most important oil market in the world. By forging a relationship with Sohio, BP was able to take advantage of the talents of an established company. Until that point, though Sohio had diversified through coal, and the creation and growth of a series of motels and restaurants on the new Interstate Highway system, it was still just a marketer and refiner. Sohio needed to produce oil, as well as refine and market oil products.
The Alaskan pipeline was a development of great magnitude. There were weather handicaps, and large quantities of supplies had to be moved over great distances. The four years spent addressing political matters allowed for in-depth study of the process of building the pipeline. Once started, time was one of the greatest challenges; there was roughly a six week window in which materials could be moved through the Bering Strait
by ship.
In his taped interview, Spahr expresses a positive attitude toward the environmental groups which were critical of the building of the pipeline. “I think that the opposition we encountered, particularly in the beginning, was healthy, because it did make us doubly sure that our designs were good.” The Caribou herds grew by four times their 1969 size, as the pipeline grounds produced grazing lands. Their migration was not impeded, as was a concern on the part of environmental groups at that time.
during his service.
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
died April 7, 2009, Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 28,448. It is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland that abuts the city on its eastern side.-Topography:Shaker Heights is located at...
) is the youngest person to be appointed President in Sohio (Standard Oil of Ohio) history. He was then appointed as CEO of Sohio from 1959 to 1977, and was instrumental in the building of the Alaskan Pipeline.
Early life
Growing up on a small family farm in Independence, MissouriIndependence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, Spahr’s father worked at the nearby Sugar Creek refinery location of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana.
His grandfather, Moses Spahr, was a Methodist minister. When his father was in his teens, Moses was sent to minister in the Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295...
area. Located on the southern Kansas border, Moses made this move prior to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
becoming a state. It was still a rough region at that time; Moses Spahr preached against “whisky, murder, and mayhem.”
Education and early career
Graduating from the University of KansasUniversity of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, with his Baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in 1934, he is shown to be a member of the Theta Tau
Theta Tau
ΘΤ Fraternity was founded in 1904 by four engineering students at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. As defined by the fraternity, the purpose of Theta Tau is to develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members, and to unite them in a strong bond of...
Professional Engineering Fraternity and of the Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
Engineering Honor Society.
Spahr earned his way through college during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
by binding books for the engineering program, and working as chauffeur for Chancellor Ernest Lindley. He would later give money to the University of Kansas, which helped fund the construction of a large classroom in the new School of Engineering building and Spahr Engineering Library for the University. Following his graduation from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, he worked as a boiler operator at the Sugar Creek Refinery in Sugar Creek, Missouri
Sugar Creek, Missouri
Sugar Creek is a city in Clay and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 3,839 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sugar Creek is located at ....
.
He then went to work for Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Bartlesville is a city in Osage and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 43,070 at the 2010 census. Bartlesville is located forty-seven miles north of Tulsa and very close to Oklahoma's northern border with Kansas. It is the county seat of Washington County, in...
as an engineer, doing pipeline design and surveying. After three years, Spahr became interested in management. This proved to be a pivotal decision, as he then pursued his MBA at the Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
, graduating in 1939.
Marriage
He married Mary Jane Bruckmiller of Sugar Creek just before leaving for Harvard. Her father was a superintendent at the Sugar Creek refinery where Charles Spahr's father was employed as a foreman. The two men knew one another.During their marriage, Charles and Mary Jane had five children: Sally, Steve, Cynthia, Stephanie, and Susan. Stephanie and Susan are twins.Standard Oil career path
After he earned his MBA Spahr returned to Bartlesville for roughly six months before going to work for Standard Oil in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, where he remained for the next 38 years. His first position was that of Pipeline Designer.
At Standard Oil, Spahr became Vice President of Transportation in 1951, in charge of barges, waterways, etc. In 1952, he served in the US government’s Petroleum Administration for Defense as director of the supply and transportation division.
In 1955, he became Sohio Executive Vice President of all operations other than oil production and exploration. Attaining the position of President in 1957, and in charge of all operations, Spahr was the youngest President in Sohio history. He was then awarded the position of Chief Executive Officer in 1959.
Spahr claimed that in his competition for the CEO position, the board was composed of employees of Sohio and members from outside of the company. The board announced their decision to interview an employee from inside the company, and a second member from outside. The board had decided to select the outside member, who was from an industry unrelated to petroleum. When they approached Spahr, he reputedly stated that if not he was not named as CEO, then he would seek employment elsewhere. The board changed its decision.
The Alaskan pipeline
The Atlantic Richfield CompanyARCO
Atlantic Richfield Company is an oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic...
discovered oil in Alaska in 1968. In late 1968 and early 1969, Charlie Spahr began to work out the details of Sohio’s working relationship with British Petroleum (BP) in Prudhoe Bay. Prior to that agreement, Sohio produced only one barrel of oil out of four that they refined.
BP had substantial area in Prudhoe Bay, but had no American refineries, which they viewed as the most important oil market in the world. By forging a relationship with Sohio, BP was able to take advantage of the talents of an established company. Until that point, though Sohio had diversified through coal, and the creation and growth of a series of motels and restaurants on the new Interstate Highway system, it was still just a marketer and refiner. Sohio needed to produce oil, as well as refine and market oil products.
The Alaskan pipeline was a development of great magnitude. There were weather handicaps, and large quantities of supplies had to be moved over great distances. The four years spent addressing political matters allowed for in-depth study of the process of building the pipeline. Once started, time was one of the greatest challenges; there was roughly a six week window in which materials could be moved through the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
by ship.
In his taped interview, Spahr expresses a positive attitude toward the environmental groups which were critical of the building of the pipeline. “I think that the opposition we encountered, particularly in the beginning, was healthy, because it did make us doubly sure that our designs were good.” The Caribou herds grew by four times their 1969 size, as the pipeline grounds produced grazing lands. Their migration was not impeded, as was a concern on the part of environmental groups at that time.
Observations
Charles Spahr prefers a style of productive management over management limited to the financial perspective. His tenure at Sohio reflects that philosophy.World War II
Spahr served as an Army Corps of Engineers major in charge of pipeline construction during World War II. Assigned to the China-Burma pipeline, he gained significant experience in pipeline installation while making important military connections. Spahr was awarded the Bronze StarBronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
during his service.
Philanthropy
Through 2011 Spahr and his wife (who died within a year of each other) through their estate had donated $45 million to the University of Kansas with much of it going to the School of Engineering.External links
- Charles Spahr Collection at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas
- Paul Borel Collection at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas: Letters from Charles Spahr, 1946–2003