Monroe "Jack" Rathbone. Some interesting family history

No, I don't mean Monroe Jackson Rathbone, V. I mean Monroe Jack Rathbone II, the great grandfather of Jackson Rathbone. Do you really know who Jackson Rathbone is? You think J Rathbone is famous because he appeared in Twilight... well then guess what his family's claim to fame is long before J appeared in any vampire movie. He did a few important things, like, you know, forming Exxon and becoming a global success. Jackson's great grandfather stands in the pages of history next to George Washington and John D Rockefeller for his contributions to the world.

Did you also know that Jackson is kin to Stonewall Jackson, a great General for the Confederate Army. Seems he has more in common with Major Jasper Whitlock than we all thought! Thomas Stonewall Jackson the Great Uncle to Monroe Jackson Rathbone lending his last name to become middle name for the Rathbone Men- thus today we all know Jackson Rathbone of Twilight fame, never knowing that that very name had Southern Confederate roots.

Lehigh University, where Jack Rathbone received his degree did this piece about his life:

Monroe J. Rathbone ‘21

1954 – Appointed president of Jersey Standard Oil Company (later named Exxon)

In 1975, Monroe “Jack” Rathbone was one of nineteen men from two centuries of American life chosen by the editors of Fortune Magazine for permanent membership in the Hall of Fame of Business Leadership. Included in the Hall of Fame were such famous names as George Washington, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and John D. Rockefeller.

Rathbone was born March 1, 1900 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. His middle name, Jack, came from his family’s relation to the famous Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson. His father worked in a refinery for Jersey Standard Oil and was an important influence on Rathbone’s interest in the petroleum industry. Rathbone served in WWI before graduating from Lehigh with a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1921. He was an accomplished student and achieved membership in the engineering honors society Tau Beta Pi.

Following graduation, Rathbone took a job as a design and drafting engineer at the Baton Rouge Refinery of the Standard Oil Company of Louisiana. Over the course of twenty-three years with that company, Rathbone worked his way up through the general superintendent and management positions to become President of Louisiana Standard in 1936. The refinery grew tremendously and was credited with the first commercial scale butadiene from petroleum for the manufacture of synthetic rubber, as well as the first commercial production of butyl rubber. In addition, Rathbone was hailed for his contribution to developing the first fluid catalytic cracking unit which drastically increased the efficiency of the oil refining process.

Rathbone was appointed President of Esso Standard Oil when Louisiana Standard and Esso merged in 1944. His legacy as one of history’s brilliant business leaders was solidified over the following two decades in which he pushed innovations in petroleum refining and met the massive military and civilian demands for petroleum products during WWII. In 1954, he was elected President of Jersey Standard and was named Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee. He was appointed CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee in 1960, and was finally elected as Chairman of the Board in 1963. Under his leadership, Jersey Standard was reorganized into the Exxon Company and greatly increased its business internationally. This reorganization was one of the biggest in American business history and earned Rathbone world-wide recognition. His controversial policy of easing Exxon off of Middle Eastern oil dependence came long before the oil embargo and was later characterized as “perhaps the most important decision in the company’s history.” When Rathbone retired in 1965, Exxon was the world’s largest oil company, had 200 affiliate companies in 100 nations, was producing one of every six barrels of oil in the world, and was earning $1.1 billion in profits annually.

Rathbone’s dedication to his alma mater remained strong throughout his life. From 1949 until 1973, he served on Lehigh’s Board of Trustees and was Chairman from 1957-1973, during which time the university experienced its greatest educational and physical expansion in its 100 year history. In 1954, Lehigh awarded him an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering and in 1972 Rathbone Dining Hall was dedicated in his honor. Rathbone served on several boards, including the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, Bethlehem Steel, Prudential Insurance, and was chair of the Deafness Research Foundation. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including the American Petroleum Institute Gold Medal for Achievement, the oil industry’s highest award, and several international knighthoods. He passed away in 1976 at the age of seventy-six.

So to put it simply, Jackson is the great grandson of one of the greatest inventors and business empires of all time, not only changing American business, but also affecting global interaction with oil and energy, by pulling out of as much Middle Eastern oil resources as possible, changing the way that the energy and oil business even operates.

And you know if you have your own wikipedia page, you rock.

Rathbone was born March 1, 1900 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. His middle name, Jack, came from his family’s relation to the famous Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson. His father worked in a refinery for Jersey Standard Oil and was an important influence on Rathbone’s interest in the petroleum industry. Rathbone served as a second lieutenant in the Army in WWI before graduating from Lehigh with a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1921. He was an accomplished student and achieved membership in the engineering honors society Tau Beta Pi.

Career at Standard Oil

Following graduation, Rathbone took a job as a design and drafting engineer at the Baton Rouge Refinery of the Standard Oil Company of Louisiana. The company made him plant manager in 1932. Over the course of twenty-three years with that company, Rathbone worked his way up through the general superintendent and management positions to become President of Louisiana Standard in 1936. The refinery grew tremendously and was credited with the first commercial scale butadiene from petroleum for the manufacture of synthetic rubber, as well as the first commercial production of butyl rubber. In addition, Rathbone was hailed for his contribution to developing the first fluid catalytic cracking unit which drastically increased the efficiency of the oil refining process.
Rathbone was appointed President of Esso Standard Oil when Louisiana Standard and Esso merged in 1944. His legacy as one of history’s brilliant business leaders was solidified over the following two decades in which he pushed innovations in petroleum refining and met the massive military and civilian demands for petroleum products during WWII. In 1954, he was elected President of Jersey Standard and was named Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee. He was appointed CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee in 1960, and was finally elected as Chairman of the Board in 1963. Under his leadership, Jersey Standard was reorganized into the Exxon Company and greatly increased its business internationally. This reorganization was one of the biggest in American business history and earned Rathbone world-wide recognition. His controversial policy of easing Exxon off of Middle Eastern oil dependence came long before the oil embargo and was later characterized as “perhaps the most important decision in the company’s history.” When Rathbone retired in 1965, Exxon was the world’s largest oil company, had 200 affiliate companies in 100 nations, was producing one of every six barrels of oil in the world, and was earning $1.1 billion in profits annually.

[edit] Achievements and Recognition

Rathbone’s dedication to his alma mater remained strong throughout his life. From 1949 until 1973, he served on Lehigh’s Board of Trustees and was Chairman from 1957-1973, during which time the university experienced its greatest educational and physical expansion in its 100 year history. In 1954, Lehigh awarded him an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering and in 1972 Rathbone Dining Hall was dedicated in his honor. Rathbone served on several boards, including the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, Bethlehem Steel, Prudential Insurance, and was chair of the Deafness Research Foundation. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including the American Petroleum Institute Gold Medal for Achievement, the oil industry’s highest award, and several international knighthoods. He passed away in 1976 at the age of seventy-six.

 A small obit was featured in Time Magazine after he passed in 76

Died. Monroe Jackson Rathbone, 76, former president, board chairman and chief executive officer of Standard Oil Co. of N.J. (now Exxon Corp.) from 1954 to 1965; of a heart attack; in Baton Rouge, La. Big, bald "Mr. Jack," whose great-uncle was General Thomas ("Stonewall") Jackson, began his 44-year career with Standard Oil as a chem ical engineer. He made "Jersey," as he called it, the most international of the oil companies and raised its profits to over $1 billion in 1964.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,914551,00.html#ixzz0m9OZ6USu

 OH yeah and the New YorkTimes

Monroe J. Rathbone Dies at 76; Former Exxon Chief Executive

By WOLFGANG SAXON

August 3, 1976, Tuesday

Monroe Jackson Rathbone, retired board chairman and chief executive officer of the Exxon Corporation and one of the most important figures in the history of the oil industry, died yesterday at General Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. He was 76 years old

And let's crack open the Rathbone family name, noting that it originally comes from the name Rathbun

Famous Rathbuns
The Knights of Pythias, one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the United States, was founded by Justus Henry Rathbone (1839-1889) in 1864.
The Kentucky midwife who brought Abraham Lincoln in the world married a Rathbone, Lincoln's early schoolmates were Rathbones, and his companion the night of his assassination was a Rathbone.
John Paul Jones' first lieutenant was Captain John Peck Rathbun, a real hero of the American Revolutionary Navy.
Henry Riggs Rathbone (1870-1928) and George Rathbone (1803-1870) served in Congress. George was engaged in the first fist fight on the floor of the House of Representatives when a southern Congressman called him a aliar during a slavery debate. Rathbun responded by knocking him to the floor.
The late Basil Rathbone, Shakespearian actor famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, is not directly related to the American Rathbones, but is to the Liverpool Rathbones.
Rathbuns have four towns in the US named for them: Iowa, Pennsylvania, NewYork and Michigan.
One of the organizers of the Republican Party (founded 1856 "under the oaks" in JacksonMI) was Rev Hiram Rathbun of LansingMI.
The late Monroe Jackson Rathbone was Board Chairman and President of Standard Oil of New Jersey, forerunner of today's Exxon Corporation.
There's even a song named for the Rathbuns written 1850 by Ithamar Conkey, common in Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal and Brethren hymnbooks. The story goes that Conkey was depressed one rainy Sunday because only a few members of the choir had braved the storm to attend. He penned the song to honor Mrs Beriah (Martha) Rathbun, a loyal choirmember and excellent singer.

Well. That's just damn cool.