Kingdon R Hughes

Kingdon R. Hughes of Dallas, and formerly of Midland, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Thursday, September 18, 2014, at a local Dallas hospital following complications from pneumonia. He always will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, son and trusted friend to all that knew and loved him. He was 85. King was born in El Paso, Texas, on June 24, 1929, to Harry Herbert and Dr. Laura Edna Hatcher Hughes. He grew up in Pasadena, California and was a member of Claremont Men's College (now Claremont McKenna College) first graduating class in 1950. While in college, he completed the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. He later served in the Korean War as a platoon leader, where he received the Silver Star Medal, the United States third-highest military combat decoration for gallantry in action, and was promoted to First Lieutenant. While living in Pasadena, King read an article in the December 5, 1949 issue of Life Magazine about the oil boom occurring in Scurry County, Texas. He decided this was where he wanted to be. So in 1950, he joined some friends who were driving across the country on Route 66, arranged to be dropped off in Amarillo, and hitchhiked to Midland. His first job in the oil and gas business was as a trainee in the land department of the Stanolind Oil & Gas Company (now BP Amoco) in Fort Worth. After a short time, he was transferred to Tyler, and then eventually back to Midland. In 1958, he married Mary Golemon, an elementary school teacher from Brackettville, Texas. Soon after, in 1960, he struck out on his own to become an independent landman, where he began to buy minerals and put together oil and gas deals. In 1962, he co-founded The Subsurface Library with Dick Rousselot, because at the time, there were no other geological data libraries open to all independent oil operators. The Subsurface Library is now the premier petroleum data library for the Permian Basin. After succeeding as an independent oil and gas operator for almost 40 years, in 1988 King pursued a new interest in cellular telephones and wireless communications, while continuing to be active in the oil and gas business. He attributed his move into telecommunications to serendipity, after being awarded a cellular telephone license through a lottery held by the Federal Communications Commission. The license, in Ocean County, New Jersey, was parlayed into a business that he sold to McCaw Cellular/AT&T in 1995. After a brief one year stint in Philadelphia, PA, he moved to Dallas in 1996 so he could be closer to home and better manage his other wireless interests. In addition to a license covering the greater Philadelphia, PA region, he built and operated a nationwide wireless license in 114 cities which he sold to the railroad industry in 2006. King spent his last 20 years as an early stage angel investor in various high-tech start-ups around the country, all the while he continued to manage the library, purchase minerals and participate in oil deals. King truly enjoyed helping young people get started in life. He endowed several scholarships including one in his mother's honor at the dental school at the University of Southern California, where his mom was one of the school's first female dental graduates in 1909. He also sponsored business plan competitions at his alma mater, Claremont, and at the University of Texas at Dallas. King was an avid sportsman his entire life. He enjoyed running every day, playing golf at Preston Trail, snow skiing and fly fishing. He was a lifelong Episcopalian, singing in the choir as a young boy, and serving in the vestry in later years. He was a member, officer and supporter of various community and professional organizations including Casa de Amigos, the United Way, the YMCA, a 50 year member of the American Association of Professional Landmen, the American Association of Professional Geologists, the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, the Independent Petroleum Association of America and The Widney Society at the University of Southern California. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time and being with his wife, two sons, and grandson, and always will be remembered as a man who gave a lifetime of unwavering support and unconditional love to those closest to him. Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Charlotte Mary Hughes; his son Bradford Hatcher Hughes, daughter-in-law Patricia Murray Hughes and grandson Kingdon Murray Hughes of Dallas; his younger son Whitney Robb Hughes of San Francisco, California; and his brother John Kevin Hughes and his wife Barbara Hughes of Denver, Colorado. A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 26th at 2:00 pm at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Midland. A reception will follow at the Petroleum Club of Midland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made online to the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association at http://www.dysphonia.org/donate.php an organization very close to his heart.