The Odessa American from Odessa, Texas • 116

I gPP THE ODESSA AMERICAN Sunday, October 12, 1980 I Enthuspsnrifs only thing unchanged Permian Basin Oil Show is now 40 years old and still growing The Permian Basin Oil Show, as it is known today, is only 30 years old, having got its start in 1950 when the show was incorporated. But like all lasting things in the Permian Basin, the seeds for the current regional show were planted as far back as 1940 by the Odessa Chamber of Commerce. I The first oil show staged in Odessa was held in Floyd Gwin Park and was sponsored by the chamber. The 38 oil field supply companies based in Odessa who exhibited at that first show may not really have been the center of attraction. That first oil show took on a carnival atmosphere and all sorts of gimmicks were devised to attract the crowds and help with the show's finances.

Public dances were staged almost nightly and party-goers were a dime a dozen. That first oil show was billed as the Little International Oil Show, a tag it carried until the Permian Basin Oil Show was incorporated in 1950. The chamber-sponsored show was held again the following year with plans to make the exposition even larger and promote Odessa as the oil field supp- ly center of the Permian Basin. Show promoters connected with the chamber had big thoughts and big dreams for future shows, but they were shattered, or at least delayed, later in that year of 1941 when war broke out in the Pacific and the United States became involved in the war in Europe. The oil industry rallied to the needs of a nation which was at war and the all-out production and exploration activities which were required kept the industry busy for another nine years.

When the oilmen once again had time to think about the future of their industry some of them turned their thoughts back to that time before the war years and began efforts to revive the Odessa Oil Show. But this time the industry was thinking bigger thoughts and The Little International Oil Show, with its carnival atmosphere, didn't seem enough for an industry that was once again experiencing a boom that was interrupted by a world war. In 1950 the Permian Basin Oil was incorporated with Lloyd French of Midland as its first president. The willingness of the show's directors to elect a Midlander as its first president showed their determination to make the Odessa oil show a truly regional exposition which was designed to promote the oil industry. French may have been living in Midland but as president of French Tool and Supply his roots ran deep in Odessa and the oil industry.

French was also to hold the distinction of being the only Permian Basin Oil Show presi- VACUUM TRUCK SERVICE everyone still has a ball while attending the oil show. The only real party attributed directly to the oil show management is the exhibitors party staged the night before the oil show opens on Wednesday. But even that has been cut down in size this year and tickets are required for admission and the number of tickets are limited. By comparison, enthusiasm at that first oil show back in 1940 and the current edition of the show is running just about the same, but everything else has changed to meet the size of the exposition. For instance, equipment on display at the 1940 show was valued at about $10,000 and equipment to go on display here Wednesday could run as high as several hundred million dollars.

And by comparison, that first show had 38 exhibitors while the current oil show will feature 534 exhibitors coming from throughout Texasand about 23 other states. Service will be discontinued AUSTIN, Texas (AP) The Railroad Commission authorized Santa Fe Railway on Monday to discontinue the operation of its agency station at Canyon on a one-year trial basis. The commission refused Santa Fe's request to dismantle the station at Canyon, 16 miles south of Arnarillo. Commission Examiner E.A. Galvan reported that several including two grain elevator operators, had protested closing of the station.

He said, "Canyon is a crossroads for traffic" in that Panhandle area. were around for the 1940 and 1941 shows wre still around. Jay Alvey, vice president of Odessa's First National Bank, recalled that the crowds for the first oil shows under new leadership were still overflowing at Floyd Gwin Park, the site of the exposition, and the carnival-like atmosphere was still around. "Even after the oil show moved to the Ector County Coliseum in 1954 we still had a carnival in conjunction with the oil show and dances and parties were held nightly," Alvey recalled. "But gradually these things were weeded out as the nub of exhibitors grew until the show developed into what it is today." Alvey should know about the changes that have come about in the oil show.

He has been the oil show manager since 1960, serving under all but the first two presidents. E.M. (Ernie) Schur, president of the board of directors of the First National Bank, recalled recently that the oil show board of directors asked Alvey to become oil show manager when the exposition was experiencing some financial troubles and needed help in getting back on its feet. "A committee from the oil show board came to me and asked if they could borrow Alvey for the show because they needed help," Schur said. "Since that time in 1964 the same committee comes to the bank every other year requesting Jay's help and we are always glad to help out on anything that is as beneficial to Odessa as the Permian Basin Oil Show." The party-type atmosphere of the oil show may not be as prevalent today as it was several years ago because of the seriousness of the industry.

But dent to hold the office for two successive years. Other presidents to follow French in leading the Permian Basin Oil Show to become the largest of its kind in the nation included W.D. Lane, superintendent of West Texas Production for Plymouth Oil Co. in Odessa, 1954; Roy Carter, superintendent of the Carter Foundation in Kermit, 1956; Arno Anders, division manager for Continental Oil Co. in Odessa, 1958; J.C.

Hostetler, president of Hostetler Engineering in Monahans, 1960; O.D. Albirght, production superintendent of the Sun Oil Co. in Odessa, 1962; John Ed Cooper, vice president of BBM Drilling in Midland, 1964; Fred G. Courtney, area superintendent of Gulf Oil Co. in Andrews, 1966; J.A.

McVean, president of McVean and Barlow in Odessa, 1968; P.E. (Pat) Fletcher, district operations manager of Atlantic Richfield Co. in Midland, 1970; Vernon Blain, president of Johnn Drilling Co. in Odessa, 1972; and Frank Lovering, regional manager for Phillips Petroleum Co. in Odessa, 1974; J.W.

(Bill) Hall, vice president of Loffland Brothers of Odessa; Larry Byrd, former production manager for Exxon in Midland; and the current president, Joe Womack, regional superintendent for Texas Pacific Oil Co. in Midland. Of the dozen past oil show presidents only Fletcher, Blain, Lovering and Byrd are still actively participating in the staging of the biennial event. After the Permian Basin Oil Show was incorporated in 1950 and the Odessa Chamber of Commerce ceased to be active in its planning and staging, the exposition gradually began to take on a different appearance although some of the things that RI.2Boi 5042 Odma.Ti 79760 2800 FUMIXGO r. OIL FIELD HAULING AND 9 VACUUM SERVICE TANK CLEANING OIL SPILLS 381-0642 IF NO ANSWER CALL 381-5577 A DEHYDRATED INLET GAS 1000 PSI 1100 PSI GASGAS EXCHANGER RESIDUE GAS 200 PSI 250 PSI ShP i 1 PRODUCT Palem Applied Fo PRODUCT TO PIPELINE PRODUCT FROM PIPELINE PUMP DEMETHANIZER if jsL 0 Miracle Prices 0 Courteous Service vSF SSSSC 0 National Brands NJi 0 urr's Proten Beef (A 0 Gold Bond Stamps Cryogenic LPG Recovery Process Engineering Corporation will assume the entire responsibility for the design, fabrication, shipping, and field erection of cryogenic gas processing plants, complete with the necessary product storage and gas recompression facilities.

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