Memorials › Joseph Benjamin Saunders Jr.
Joseph Benjamin Saunders Jr.
25 Jul 1901 – 26 Nov 1989
| Birth | 25 Jul 1901 |
| Death | 26 Nov 1989 |
| Cemetery | Rose Hill Burial Park Oklahoma City , Oklahoma County , Oklahoma , USA |
| Added by | Charles W. Sanders on 28 Dec 2012 |
| FaG | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83047792 |
Bio
Oklahoma Hall of Fame, 1974 Joseph Benjamin Saunders, Jr. was born in Texas and is best known to Oklahoma as the president of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. A graduate of Sand Springs High School, he attended the University of Missouri and the Chillicothe Business College and went to work for Imperial Refineries in Ardmore. He was a pioneer in developing Triangle Refineries, Inc. in 1937, and several of his innovations for the refining process have been adopted around the world. His company later became part of the expanding Oil Industries, and Mr. Saunders eventually became vice chairman and senior vice president at Kerr-McGee. He also spearheaded a drive in the 1970s to help establish the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra. --------------------- Oil Man, Civic Leader J.B. Saunders Dies at 88 Published in The Oklahoman, Tuesday, November 28, 1989: J.B. Saunders, onetime Oklahoma civic leader, philanthropist and oil man, died Sunday in Houston. He was 88. His life's footsteps mark the growth of a state. Born Joseph Benjamin Saunders on July 25, 1901, in Hillsboro,Texas, Saunders moved to Sand Springs, OK, in 1905, two years before statehood. He attended school there until his graduation. He tried a variety of professions, including shipping clerk, roughneck and court reporter before concentrating on oil work. He attended the University of Missouri and the Chillicothe Business College, also in Missouri. In 1937, after years with Imperial Refineries in Ardmore, Saunders formed his own company, Triangle Refineries. He also was president of several related companies. His profession eventually led him to be on the board of directors of the Kerr-McGee Corp., where he served as senior vice president. Saunders was known throughout Oklahoma City and the state for his stature as a patron of culture as well as for business leadership. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1974. Many civic organizations in Oklahoma knew Saunders as a member of their boards of directors: These include the Cowboy Hall of Fame, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and the United Fund. He spearheaded a drive in the 1970s to help establish the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra. He was an active member of the American Petroleum Institute, the Independent Petroleum Association, and was a Mason. Services for Saunders are pending with Hahn-Cook, Street & Draper in Oklahoma City. (Biographical info contributed by Charles W Sanders #46978292) ------------------------- Residence: 7209 Waverly, Nichols Hills OK Parents: Joseph B (b. 1862 TN) & Irene E (b. 1872 TX)Saunders (1930 census, Sapulpa, Creek Co OK) 1910 census, Red Ford, Tulsa Co OK: Joe B Saunders 48 TN, Irene E Saunders 38 TX, Beulah Saunders 17 TX, Earl Saunders 11 TX, J B Saunders 9 TX, Luther Saunders 6 TX, Izora Saunders 3 OK, Florence Saunders 1 OK. 1940 census, University City, St Louis Co MO: Joseph B Saunders 38 TX, Gladys Saunders 33 TX, E Suzane Saunders 3 MO, Joseph B Saunders III 6M MO & 2 maids. Occ: oil broker
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