IN THE NEWS / End Of An Era
Famed oilman 'Jack' Gallagher dead at 82
By TODD NOGIER -- Calgary Sun
Charismatic, fun-loving, honourable.
These are the ways even business rivals describe John Patrick Gallagher -- one of Canada's most famous and successful oil barons.
"Smilin' Jack" Gallagher, 82, died this week at Calgary's Rosedale Hospice -- a home that cares for those dying with cancer.
"He had a rare charisma -- he loved people and everyone loved to be around him," said longtime oilpatch rival and friend Jim Gray.
Gallagher made his fortune in the oilpatch at its inception.
Born in Winnipeg and educated at Harvard, he started his career as a geologist in the 1930s with the Geologists Survey of Canada.
His work with the federal government took him to the Canadian Arctic -- a place that captured his heart both for its harsh beauty and its promise.
Gallagher got into oil when, in 1950, he was asked to manage endowment funds of three major American universities wanting to throw money in the Canadian oilpatch.
That's when he formed Dome Ex-ploration Ltd. which eventually became the lar-gest petroleum company in Canada.
Gallagher grew the company from a one-man operation to one that employed 3,000 in its heyday.
Financial troubles forced Dome to sell to Amoco Canada Petroleum in a blockbuster $5.5 billion takeover deal 10 years
Gallagher's accomplishments were steep, but it is his personality that is winning praise now.
"He had a very successful career," said Gray, himself an industry titan.
"Yet he wasn't the type to play hardball."
Of Gallagher's many attributes, one of his biggest was his ability to gather backers for his expeditions that often blazed new trails in the industry and on the landscape.
"He played honorably and he did have fun," said Gray, a fellow geologist who gained an affinity for Gallagher.
Gallagher was also a philanthropist setting up the Gallagher Educational Foundation which helped teachers adapt to changing technology.
He also donated to the Hospice Calgary Society and Foundation. |
