Charles Eugene Seay -- Philanthropist

Charles Eugene Seay was born in Dallas, Texas on November 28, 1914 to Dr. Dero Seay and Pauline Bolanz Seay and died peacefully in his sleep on February 7, 2009 at the age of 94.

He grew up in Dallas and attended Highland Park schools. In his senior year in high school he attended Kemper Military Academy where he graduated in 1932. He enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin in 1932 and graduated in 1936 with a B.B.A. degree. While at UT he was a member of The Texas Cowboys, Friars, Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Delta Theta which he served as president. In addition, he was active in intramural sports winning the intramural wrestling and handball championships.

In 1936 he entered the life insurance business in Dallas as an agent for Southland Life Insurance Co. He was successful in sales earning numerous memberships in the Million Dollar Roundtable.

In 1937 Charles married Sarah (Sadie) Meadows of San Angelo, Texas who was a classmate at UT and they began their family life together in Dallas.

In 1943 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served two years at Sheppard's Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas.

At the close of WWII they moved back to Dallas and he reentered the life insurance business as an agent working for Southland Life Insurance Co. and Southwestern Life Insurance Co. Later in his career in addition to selling life insurance he began to invest in life insurance stocks having become astute at reading financial statements. In the early 1960s he formed Seay Sharpe and Co., a successful brokerage firm in the Dallas area specializing in family owned life insurance companies. He became one of the country's experts in life insurance company investments.

As his business began to grow he became interested in giving to his community and his first major gifts were to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital specifically for dyslexic children and to the Park Cities YMCA for the Seay Natatorium. He later began giving to his alma mater, UT Austin, with major gifts to the business school for chairs and professorships, to the UT school of Psychology for a new building on campus and for professorships and numerous gifts to UT Southwestern Medical School. He contributed to the UT Alumni Center and helped establish The George E. Seay Presidential Scholarship in Law at the UT Law School in honor of his brother. One of his last gifts to UT Austin was the major gift by him and his wife to UT Southwestern Medical School for the Seay Molecular Building on the medical school's North Campus. In all, Charles and Sarah Seay gave over $31,000,000 to UT Southwestern Medical School. In all, Charles and Sarah Seay gave over $31,000,000 to UT Southwestern Medical School.

The Seays were supportive of the Seay Behavioral Center at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano, The Charles Seay Jr. Hand Center at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, Timberlawn Psychiatric Research Foundation and Operation Kindness, an animal care shelter in Dallas. The Seays gifts to the arts included major gifts to The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Dallas Museum of Art and The Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Mr. Seay was interested in mental and physical fitness and made major gifts to the Highland Park Independent School District for The Seay Tennis Center and to the Park Cities YMCA for a teaching pool for swimmers. He was a swimmer and an avid golfer for all of his life and was Runner-up for the Dallas Country Club Golf Championship two straight years. He also played tennis regularly with gusto. In the early 1990s The Park Cities YMCA created an award named The Charles E. Seay Outstanding Leadership Award that is given annually to a YMCA supporter. He has been given service awards by Children's Medical Center, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, Timberlawn Psychiatric Research Foundation and by UT Southwestern Medical School. He was named A Distinguished Alumnus of Highland Park High School in 1990_ and A Distinguished Alumnus of UT Austin in 1994. Charles Seay was a member of The Dallas Country Club, Brook Hollow Golf Club, Coon Creek Hunting and Fishing Club, The Idlewild Club and The Crescent Club. Charles Seay was a man of great energy and personality.

He loved people and was blessed with leadership skills. He worked hard his entire life and used his various gifts to build a business and an estate and then gave his time, talent and treasure to make our community a better place for everyone. He has left a significant legacy for future generations to emulate.

 

THE LINEAGE:

(Charles Eugene Seay was the husband of Sarah "Sadie" Lee Meadows.  Sarah was the daughter of Claude William and Susan Martin Moore Meadows and granddaughter of Thomas Oscar and Sarah Adelie Thomas Moore.  Sarah was the third child of Stanley Thomas.  Stanley was the seventh child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Fred Holmsley Moore -- Geologist, Oil Company Executive and Patron of Education

Fred Holmsley Moore, geologist, oil company executive, and patron of education, the youngest of four sons of Robert Hartwell and Fanny Teresa (Holmsley) Moore, was born in Comanche, Texas, on November 2, 1909. He earned a B.A. degree at Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) in 1930. He received a master of arts degree in geology from the University of Virginia in 1931 and did graduate work in geology at Yale University from 1931 to 1933. He completed an advanced management course at the Harvard Business School in 1951. In 1935 Moore published a book entitled Marbles and Limestones of Connecticut. He was first employed as a geologist with the U.S. Gypsum Company in 1933 and in 1935 began a thirty-two-year career with Magnolia Petroleum Company and its parent, Mobil Oil Company. He began as a field geologist and rose to become assistant to Magnolia's president from 1950 to 1956 and executive vice president in 1959. After the Magnolia-Mobil merger he directed Mobil's North American oil exploration and production division based in New York City. He was executive vice president of Mobil Oil of Canada, Limited, in 1956–57 and manager of worldwide production at Socony Mobil Oil from 1957 to 1958. He became director and executive vice president of Mobil in 1961 and was special assistant to the president from 1967 to 1969. He served as a member of the petroleum consortium thereafter, but retired for reasons of health in 1967 and moved to Austin, Texas.

Moore devoted most of the rest of his life to higher education. He was a trustee of Our Lady of the Lake University and of Austin College, a regent of Texas Tech University, a trustee of the Independent College Fund of America, and a member of the National Council of the United Negro College Fund of America; he served two six-year terms as a member of the Texas College and University System Coordinating Board. Moore contributed both time and money to the University of Texas at Austin. In 1978 he arranged the transfer of a Mobil seismographic research ship, the Fred H. Moore, to the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. He was a member and chairman of the UT College of Business Administration Foundation Advisory Council. Moore received an LL.D. degree from Middlebury College in 1963, an honorary D.Sc. from Hartwick College in 1966, an L.H.D. from Marlboro College in 1967, and a D.B.A. from Our Lady of the Lake in 1977. An endowed professorship in international management was named for him in 1978, and he was inducted into the University of Texas Business Hall of Fame in 1984. In April 1984 university president Peter Flawn presented Moore the Presidential Citation in recognition of his role in initiating the Centennial Endowed Teachers and Scholars program, which significantly increased the number of faculty endowments at the university by matching private gifts with public funds.

Moore was a member of the Texas State Historical Association and served on the executive council and as vice president. He was named honorary life president on June 25, 1983. He was a fellow of the Geological Society of America, a director of the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association and the American Petroleum Institute, and a member of the Philosophical Society of Texas, the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, and the National Industrial Conference Board. He also belonged to the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the Sons of Confederate Veterans,qqv the Society of Mayflower Descendants, and the Sons of the American Revolution. Moore was a lifelong Presbyterian. He married Grace Hunter in July 1929; they were the parents of one daughter. After the death of his first wife, he married Ella Mae Rudd Handley in 1941. Moore died of heart failure on July 20, 1985, and was buried in Comanche.
MOORE, FRED HOLMSLEY (1909–1985). Fred H. Moore, geologist, oil company executive, and patron of education, the youngest of four sons of Robert Hartwell and Fanny Teresa (Holmsley) Moore, was born in Comanche, Texas, on November 2, 1909. He earned a B.A. degree at Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) in 1930. He received a master of arts degree in geology from the University of Virginia in 1931 and did graduate work in geology at Yale University from 1931 to 1933. He completed an advanced management course at the Harvard Business School in 1951. In 1935 Moore published a book entitled Marbles and Limestones of Connecticut. He was first employed as a geologist with the U.S. Gypsum Company in 1933 and in 1935 began a thirty-two-year career with Magnolia Petroleum Company and its parent, Mobil Oil Company. He began as a field geologist and rose to become assistant to Magnolia's president from 1950 to 1956 and executive vice president in 1959. After the Magnolia-Mobil merger he directed Mobil's North American oil exploration and production division based in New York City. He was executive vice president of Mobil Oil of Canada, Limited, in 1956–57 and manager of worldwide production at Socony Mobil Oil from 1957 to 1958. He became director and executive vice president of Mobil in 1961 and was special assistant to the president from 1967 to 1969. He served as a member of the petroleum consortium thereafter, but retired for reasons of health in 1967 and moved to Austin, Texas.

Moore devoted most of the rest of his life to higher education. He was a trustee of Our Lady of the Lake University and of Austin College, a regent of Texas Tech University, a trustee of the Independent College Fund of America, and a member of the National Council of the United Negro College Fund of America; he served two six-year terms as a member of the Texas College and University System Coordinating Board. Moore contributed both time and money to the University of Texas at Austin. In 1978 he arranged the transfer of a Mobil seismographic research ship, the Fred H. Moore, to the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. He was a member and chairman of the UT College of Business Administration Foundation Advisory Council. Moore received an LL.D. degree from Middlebury College in 1963, an honorary D.Sc. from Hartwick College in 1966, an L.H.D. from Marlboro College in 1967, and a D.B.A. from Our Lady of the Lake in 1977. An endowed professorship in international management was named for him in 1978, and he was inducted into the University of Texas Business Hall of Fame in 1984. In April 1984 university president Peter Flawn presented Moore the Presidential Citation in recognition of his role in initiating the Centennial Endowed Teachers and Scholars program, which significantly increased the number of faculty endowments at the university by matching private gifts with public funds.

Moore was a member of the Texas State Historical Association and served on the executive council and as vice president. He was named honorary life president on June 25, 1983. He was a fellow of the Geological Society of America, a director of the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association and the American Petroleum Institute, and a member of the Philosophical Society of Texas, the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, and the National Industrial Conference Board. He also belonged to the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the Sons of Confederate Veterans,qqv the Society of Mayflower Descendants, and the Sons of the American Revolution. Moore was a lifelong Presbyterian. He married Grace Hunter in July 1929; they were the parents of one daughter. After the death of his first wife, he married Ella Mae Rudd Handley in 1941. Moore died of heart failure on July 20, 1985, and was buried in Comanche.



BIBLIOGRAPHY: Austin American-Statesman, July 21, 1985. Southwestern Historical Quarterly, July 1985. Vertical Files, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin.

 THE LINEAGE:

(Fred Holmsley Moore was the son of Robert Hartwell and Fannie Theresa Holmsley Moore and the grandson of Thomas Oscar and Sarah Adelie Thomas Moore.  Sarah was the third child of Stanley and Sarah Thompson Rothrock Thomas.  Stanley was the seventh child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)