History of The Ark-La-Tex Association of Petroleum Landmen
By J. N. Page (Humble Oil & Refining Company)
The Ark-La-Tex Association of Petroleum Landmen is one of the older land associations in continued existence in the country, being organized shortly after the formation of the Mississippi Landmen's Association in 1944. It owes its early creation to the fact that Jack W. Hamilton had been a charter member of the Mississippi group.
Hamilton, then with Stanolind, now with Pan-Am international in Iran, was transferred to Shreveport, Louisiana. Charles T. "Scotty" McCord, Jr., then with Lyons and Prentiss, now with McCord Oil Company, learned of the Mississippi Association through conversations with Hamilton. He saw the usefulness of such an organization and began to talk about having one in the Ark-La-Tex area. With the enthusiasm and organizing ability of McCord, the association was soon a fact.
McCord sent letters to landmen throughout the area requesting their attendance at an informal meeting to be held on July1, 1946, at a Shreveport restaurant. The purpose was to determine the possibility of having a Landmen's Association. There were 61 members of land departments of Shreveport oil offices who attended.
An organizational meeting was arranged and on July 15, 1946, the Ark-La-Tex Landman's Association had its first meeting. Sixty-one landmen became charter members. The By-laws prepared by the organizational committee were read to them members and adopted. The association's headquarters was designated as Shreveport, Louisiana. The purpose was stated to be both educational and social.
Membership was open to any professional landman employed by any oil or gas company operating in the Ark-La-Tex area, all of the questions relating to qualifications for and maintenance of membership to be determined by the executive committee. Regular meetings were to be held once each calendar month. This was changed about 1949 to nine regular meetings a year, no meetings being scheduled during the months of June, July and August. The only change as to membership qualifications was made in 1955 during the administration of William M. Selvidge, then with Carter, now Jackson Area landman with Humble Oil & Refining Company, and a past AAPL director. Associate membership was opened to any individual brokers or independents in the area subject to acceptance by the executive committee. In 1961, the Association's name was changed to the Ark-La-Tex Association of Petroleum Landmen.
McCord was elected the first President; Charles W. Day, Sohio Petroleum Company, Vice-President; and Hamilton, Secretary-Treasurer. These men served one-year terms as provided for in the by-laws. The first Executive Committee consisted of five men: F.H. Harrell, Midstates Oil Corporation; J.W. Koonce, Jones-O'Brien; A. A. (Ion) Mason, Magnolia Petroleum Company; I. S. McGee, The Carter Oil Company; and T. C. Patterson, Arkansas Fuel Oil Company.
