J. Howard Marshall, II Click here for downloadable photos.

"I really don't care much about riches, but I do care about achievement. That's all that matters."
-- J. Howard Marshall, II

J. Howard Marshall was born on January 24, 1905 in Germantown, PA. He led an extraordinary life that spanned more than nine decades.

His career brought him success as a teacher, government official, attorney and businessman. His career spanned almost the entire history of the oil industry, from the early years when uncontrolled production depleted valuable fields and natural gas was burned at the well head, to the decades of energy shortages and the Arab Oil Embargo.

Marshall worked his way through Yale Law School, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1931. He was invited to join the Yale faculty and served as assistant dean at Yale Law School. His interest in the oil industry came from a study of laws designed to regulate the ruinous practice of controlled production that threatened the industry. Lack of regulation was creating a boom-bust cycle in the industry and robbing the country of precious natural resources by the premature depletion of oil and gas fields.

Marshall's pioneering study of oil industry regulation led to an early end to his promising academic career. Marshall was recruited away from Yale in 1933, to work for the Secretary of Interior, Harold Ickes, in Washington.

In 1935, he moved to San Francisco as special counsel to the president of Standard Oil of California (now Chevron). Two years later, he became a partner with Standard's chief outside counsel, at that time, Pillsbury, Madison and Sutro.

With World War II looming, Harold Ickes called him back to Washington in 1941 to work for the Petroleum Administration for War. Marshall served in various high-level government positions, helping develop and implement the energy policies to win the war.

In 1944, Marshall chose to pursue solely a business career when he joined Ashland Oil and Refining Co. (now Marathon Ashland).

He held top executive positions at a number of oil companies through 1952 when he co-founded Great Northern Oil (now Koch Refining). During the 1950s, he held two jobs: V.P. of Production for Signal Oil & Gas and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Great Northern. He eventually formed Marshall Petroleum in 1984 and became a successful independent oil man.

Mr. Marshall was married to Eleanor M. Pierce from 1931-1960. They had two sons, J. Howard Marshall III and E. Pierce Marshall. Mr. Marshall married Bettye Bohannon in 1961. The couple's 30-year marriage ended with Bettye's death in 1991. Mr. Marshall was married briefly to Anna Nicole Smith. The couple married in 1994. Mr. Marshall died on August 4, 1995.