JOHN A. "JACK" JACKSON
(1913-2003)
John A. Jackson, a native Texan who generously supported educational and other
initiatives throughout the state, died this morning in his sleep at the
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. Jackson graduated from The University of Texas
at Austin in 1940 with a degree in geology, and used his perceptive skills in
this area to discover the great Boonsville field in Wise County, one of the
largest natural gas fields in the United States.
This success allowed him to form his own company, which he named Katie Petroleum
to honor his wife, Katherine G. Jackson.
The couple's major philanthropic support in later years focused on higher
education, and included the largest gift to a public university in the nation
when Jackson chose in 2002 to give the balance of his and Katie's estate to the
Geology Foundation of The University of Texas at Austin. The gift was then
estimated to be worth between $150 million and $200 million.
Born in Lufkin, Texas on Aug. 11, 1913, John Jackson moved to Dallas three years
later when his mother relocated after the death of his father. He attended
schools in Dallas and Temple, before moving to Hatch, New Mexico, to live with
relatives, where he graduated from high school in 1932. After working in the oil
fields of east Texas for several years, Jackson began classes in Austin, though
he briefly attended Temple Junior College for a few years and met his future
wife there.
He began his geology career at the Arkansas Fuel Oil Company in Shreveport, and
served in the U.S. Geological Survey under a presidential war service
appointment during World War II to mine the state's bauxite fields for aluminum
ore needed for the war effort.
Soon after, he moved to Dallas to work as an independent geological consultant,
forming a partnership with Ellison Miles. Jackson applied the geologic
deposition concept he developed in the bauxite fields in Arkansas to the study
of Paleozoic rocks in Wise County. His discovery of the Boonsville field using
this approach was featured in Time magazine's business section on Dec. 17, 1956.
This discovery and his real estate investments allowed the Jacksons to support
many cultural, health and educational efforts. The support included a $15
million gift in 2000 to expand the Geology Building at the University of Texas
at Austin.
Katherine Jackson died in March 2001 after a long illness. In July 2001, Jackson
provided an additional $25 million to the university to honor her and create an
endowment that established the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of
Geosciences. The school combines three units focused on Earth sciences: the
Department of Geological Sciences, the Institute for Geophysics and the Bureau
of Economic Geology.
That following year Mr. Jackson indicated his intent to leave the residual of
his estate to the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Endowment in the Geology
Foundation, in support of the Jackson School of Geosciences. Mr. Jackson was an
honorary life member of the Geology Foundation Advisory Council.
The Jackson's additional support of Geology Foundation efforts included
endowment of the Jackson Teaching Fellowship, the Jackson Fellowship in
Geohydrology and the Jackson Fellowship in Exploration Geophysics.
In recognition of the couple's support of Earth science research and education
at the university and the College of Natural Sciences, a formal dedication will
proceed as scheduled on April 25 to rename the Geology Building as the John A.
and Katherine G. Jackson Geological Sciences Building.
The Jackson's generosity also led them to fund many civic endeavors in Dallas,
and to donate land and support construction projects for development of the
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. Their additional philanthropic efforts included
providing scholarship programs and funding for an auditorium at Texas Lutheran
College in Seguin, serving as major contributors to libraries in Decatur and
Bridgeport, and giving substantial gifts to Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
At The University of Texas at Austin, Jackson was a Life Member of the
Chancellor's Council and a member of the College of Natural Sciences' Hall of
Honor. He was named a distinguished alumnus of the university in 2002. His
professional honors included membership in the American Association of Petroleum
Geologists and the American Institute of Professional Geologists.
A funeral for John Jackson was held in Dallas on Wednesday, March 26 at 10 a.m,
Christ Lutheran Church, 3001 Lovers Lane.
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