Clarence H. Wright

Class of
1964
Clarence H. Wright

Clarence H. Wright

“His life-long ambition, and his dream which he has seen come true, has really been making a big oil company out of a little oil company.”
Mrs. J.R. Hinshaw

Biography

Chairman of Sunray DX Oil Company and noted philanthropist, civic leader, and builder Clarence H. Wright was born in Tennessee and settled with his parents in Altus, Oklahoma Territory, in 1901. He worked as an errand boy for Miller Brothers’ General Store and in 1912 opened C.H. Wright Stores, Inc. in Cordell, Oklahoma. The business was a success, and Wright gradually bought a five-county dealership for Chevrolet cars, from which he sold 41 in 40 days. He added general stores in Shawnee, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Enid, and in Arkansas and Texas. Mr. Wright first invested in Sunray Oil Company during a trip to New York City. He was later named a director of the company in 1921, and then served as president from 1930 until 1952. He established the company’s offices in Tulsa in 1934 and merged it with several other oil companies, forming the Sunray DX Oil Company, the assets of which later totaled some $600 million.

Fun fact

Clarence Wright was only a teenager when he launched into his first business selling popcorn with the first steam-popper seen in southwestern Oklahoma. When he was 27 years old he traded a business property, later the site of the Skirvin Tower, for a 25-carat diamond necklace.

Oklahoma connections

Wright came to Altus, Oklahoma Territory, with his parents in 1901.

Hometown

Cordell

Profession

Business Executive

Presenter

Born

1891

Died

1975
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