[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12766]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HUMBLE OIL FOUNDER WAS `STERLING' CITIZEN

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 1, 2011

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we often speak of great Americans like 
Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. In Texas, 
there are State heroes like Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and William 
Barrett Travis. Similar to these great men, I would like to recognize 
one of Houston's most influential leaders and citizens, Ross Sterling.
  On a farm in Anahuac located in southeast Texas, Ross Sterling was 
born on February 11, 1875. After completing a fourth grade level 
education, he began working as a clerk at age 12. The experience led 
him at the age of 21 to launch his own merchandising business. Just 
seven years later, Sterling opened a feed store in Sour Lake, Texas. 
Despite his fourth grade education, Sterling could have taught a course 
about the hardworking man-Work Ethic 101. In 1910, Sterling's big break 
came when he purchased two oil wells; leading to the charter of The 
Humble Oil and Refining Company, which later became Exxon.
  Now the rest is as they say--Texas history. Sterling went on to open 
many banks, one of which was the Humble State Bank. He also was a 
newspaper publisher after buying the Houston Post, and owned KPRC radio 
station. In addition to these many endeavors, he owned several 
properties in the Houston area and was involved with the Houston Port 
Commission.
  Sterling entered Texas politics in the late 1920's when then-Governor 
Dan Moody appointed him as Chairman of the Texas State Highway 
Commission. Under his leadership, the State of Texas developed its 
first paved highway system. Sterling became known as ``the man who 
brought Texas out of the mud'' as a result of the project.
  In 1930, Sterling defeated primary opponent Ma Ferguson, former 
governor of Texas, in a runoff and became the Democratic gubernatorial 
candidate. He easily defeated Republican William Talbot to become 
Governor of Texas.
  The story could end there, but Texas politics is about as rough and 
tumble as the state we live in, and just about as diverse. Controversy 
plagued his first year in office, mostly concerning cotton prices and 
oil restrictions in East Texas counties. The East Texas oil fields were 
booming which led to a depression in the oil industry. To decrease 
production, Governor Sterling declared a drilling moratorium in four 
East Texas counties, ordering the National Guard to enforce it. As a 
result, Governor Sterling was defeated for the Democratic Party 
nomination in 1932 by former opponent Ma Ferguson.
  Out of work and in need of a job, Sterling returned to Houston 
bankrupt. All he had was a $100 Liberty Bond and sure determination to 
build another empire. Sterling decided to return to his first love--
oil. Using the Liberty Bond he again founded his own oil company, this 
time naming it Sterling Oil and Refining Company. By the end of World 
War II, Sterling had managed to rebuild his fortune. He served as 
President of Sterling Oil for 13 years until his retirement at the age 
of 71. Ross Sterling passed away in 1949 at the age of 74.
  In all of his endeavors, Sterling found a way to give back to his 
beloved Houston; leaving a legacy continuing long after his death. Two 
schools in my district bear his moniker, Ross S. Sterling High School 
in Baytown and Ross Sterling Middle School in Humble. A library, in 
Baytown, is also named for him, Sterling Municipal Library. However, 
one of his most notable contributions in my district was donating his 
home in La Porte to the Houston Optimist Club. In 1947, The Houston 
Optimist Club donated Sterling's former mansion to the Boys and Girls 
Harbor, a home that cares for children in crisis. Sterling also served 
on the board of trustees for the Hermann Hospital Estate for over 30 
years.
  The backbone of our Nation is formed from hard-working citizens like 
Ross Sterling who pull themselves up by their bootstraps when times get 
tough, and still find ways to give back to their community. Ross 
Sterling is an example not only to Houstonians, but to all citizens of 
our great Nation. That is what makes America what it is: the land of 
the free and the home of the brave.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________