the conference to tell his mistress Madeleine Duncan Brown that "those It's a jaw-dropping deposition shocked to witness the arrival of Lyndon Johnson who had traveled from Houston. Murchison was the wealthy son of a successful Texas oilman, graduating from Duke and earning a master's degree from MIT. For FDR, its virtue was that it was metal. It is important to note that before her death Brown carried no hostility towards the world's media watching over 40 years ago - what would stop the same lineage - he was so involved with some of this," said Brown. tycoon with close links to the Genovese mafia, on November 21st 1963, the night This love-hate conflict with the Kennedy administration was especially felt by one wealthy, big-oil man named Clint Murchison. media mogul. Browse 15 clint murchison stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Her real fear, she said in a low voice, is rumors that developers are bidding for the estate so that they can raze the mansion ''and put up a lot of little houses. "They had this lodge.outside of Dallas and they would meet there.he Adjusted for inflation, this is the equivalent of $1 . On the train, Roosevelt wrote down the number of his political fixer Thomas Corcoran, a.k.a. 0. to arrange call girls, drugs, gambling fixes and even contract killings. Corrals were built for the Hereford cattle that Murchison introduced. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. In addition, he used the following sources: Part 2: A fortress of power built to last, Part 3: Toddie Lee Wynne and the reach for the stars. A gallery-like veranda ran along the perimeter. So now that you know the back story, why not make yourself at home here and add your own chapter? Duncan Brown and from that lengthy discussion the truth about exactly who was the Kennedy's "would never embarrass me again" the night before the If Lupe had chosen Hall herself, she could not have found anyone more to her liking. She became his patron. Presidents and senators explored the beaches and basked in the enormous fortunes of their hosts Clint Murchison Sr. of Dallas and his lifetime best friend, Sid Richardson of Fort Worth. And he would be working for a family with more money and more internecine battles than the Sopranos. Land owned by Roosevelts luncheon host and all of Richardsons San Jose Island went untouched. The home sits on nearly three acres of land. Murchison was probably in the top five. In 1893, he tapped architect, A midcentury Alamo Heights home recently listed for $2.1 million was once home to one of San Antonio's most-distinguished military leaders, according, An 8,800-square-food Terrell Hills mansion built for now-retired AT&T Senior Executive Vice President Richard G. Lindner and his wife has hit the, Members of San Antonio's Ukrainian community gathered with elected officials and others Thursday in front of City Hall for a candlelight vigil, What good is it to live in Mad Men-style home without a chance to engage in some serious leisure? They had a GREAT time drinking and laughing about it at the Murchison mansion. Clint Murchison Sr. erupted from East Texas during the rough-and-tumble years of oil drilling in the 1930s, and spent his life "doing deals." Wolfe gives a colorful description of a quiet, unpretentious man whose financial acumen and brilliant use of leverage helped him build a multimillion-dollar conglomerate. to arrange call girls, drugs, gambling fixes and even contract killings. Clint W. Murchison, Sr. was born April 11, 1895, in Tyler to John W. and Clara (Williams) Murchison. His own vice president, Texan John Nance Garner, thought the court-packing plan was a rancid proposal. For passing fishermen, the only clue to a deeper story comes when an occasional private jet descends over the bay and touches down on San Jose. He and Mr. Murchison were always teasing one another.. The well-established Karen Mitchell Frank Gallery closed in April. back at a quickly-smiling LBJ as he is being sworn in to be the next President In the 10th Congressional District, 29-year-old Lyndon Johnson had won his seat with a campaign that gave unconditional support for FDR and court reorganization. Four miles later, they turned onto his ranch road. The name was his pugnacious reaction to proration laws that set limits on how much oil could be produced from wells in the East Texas field. Just before John F. Kennedy was assassinated he upset people like Clint Murchison and Haroldson L. Hunt when he talked about plans to submit to Congress a tax reform plan designed to produce about $185,000,000 in additional revenues by changes in the favourable tax treatment until then accorded the gas-oil industry. they met. Still in need of cash, Murchison sold everything else--for something less than $500,000--to Dallas auctioneer S. Norman Garrett. His inheritance would be worth over $400 million today. hitmen after the assassination, and upon hearing of the strange deaths of many The group met for a party in Dallas hosted by Clint Murchison, another business FEDERAL: 10,002 acres. behind the assassination of JFK was exposed. "When they met in California Joe Kennedy, John Kennedy's father, and H.L. But next door on Matagorda, the elements are on the march against the legacy of Murchison and Wynne. Oil produced above the legal limit was called hot oil. A headline in the National Petroleum News noted, Roosevelts Hosts Company in Texas Fined for Hot Oil Law Violations.. Clint Murchison, Sr. of criminals from carrying out 9/11? This Toddie L. Wynne - clint Murchison (American Liberty. The visit was more than a recognition of Texas oil as a rising power; it was a cosmic shuffle. She lives in the neighborhood. McCarthy/Staff Photographer). After the meeting, the governor dispatched a message to Lyndon Johnson. The Murchison estate also included what the family called the Big House, a 22,000-square-foot mansion that Clint Sr. built and which Lupe abandoned in 1998, when she completed her house just a few hundred yards away. There was no negotiating. Not even with her children. In the early 1930s, Murchison was a grieving father of three young boys. Following the lead of his friend Murk, he bought all 21 miles of San Jose, then called St. Josephs Island or just St. Jo. said Brown. Mae told Stew Webb that Richard Nixon was one of the people who came to the party the night after the assassination! "They all went in to this conference room..Lyndon didn't stay that But another son, John Murchison, had kept the family business alive and kicking. assassination are often ignored by the media who prefer to keep the debate focused In going through paperwork, he discovered mention of a $350,000 Larry Rivers paintingbut he couldnt find the piece. By the late 1990s, Lupe was appalled at what she considered the Dallas Museums mistreatment of donors. In Winkler County, close to the New Mexico border, Richardson had recently found the foundation of his massive fortune the Keystone Field. All rights reserved. But the names of the men getting rich from it would remain virtually unknown to most Americans for many years. Main photo: An aerial view of the landing strip and home of Sid Richardson on San Jose Island. The president came ashore exactly once. media mogul. And he has done well by her. The dramatic stone-and-glass house was the perfect backdrop for selling the art, and it made sense for someone to live there while both the house and the art were on the market. Lupe offered the Big House to the DMA. Duncan Brown and from that lengthy discussion the truth about exactly who was But John and Lupes taste in art proved auspicious. Not only will he have to stop living like a billionaire (or at least living in a billionaires house), but when the collection is finally sold, Hall will have to break an almost intimate bond hes formed with his departed client. then the day of the assassination he said 'well, we won the war'," said Today, under the eaves of the main house, white paint stubbornly clings in the shadows. But along with the commissions he would be paid, the job came with an irresistible perk. For the next 50 years, the grass-covered sandbars occupied a rarefied space at or near the epicenter of American power. Clint Murchison Sr.'s Big House . I've heard that John was out of town the night of 11/21, but I cannot . The following day, the three oilmen were back onboard to say goodbye before the president sailed away. Hall spent the first month just trying to figure out what was in the collection. To the north is the nearly empty barrier island of San Jose, which rolls out for more than 20 miles to a brackish bayou. Suite 2100 But on the louvered hurricane shutters, the relentless salt air has scratched out a gray patina. As the court and both houses of Congress expressed outrage, a headline in the Washington Post carried sympathetic news from the Texas Hill Country: Texas Supporter of Court Change Appears Elected.. This is hardly the best of times to be in the art business, as the formerly rich try to unload paintings to pay their utility bills. In 1986, Wynnes son, Toddie Lee Wynne Jr., sold all 11,502 acres to be used as a government wildlife refuge. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Some pieces were outright shocking, like the 9-by-12-inch granite model of a womans vulva that stood on a pedestal in Lupes living room. by Barr McClellan, father of White House press secretary Scott McClellan. This love-hate conflict with the Kennedy administration was especially felt by one wealthy, big-oil man named Clint Murchison. At the start of his second term, Roosevelt infused the two islands with the lifeblood of Washington, D.C. clout. Still, he sold both daughters a few pieces. Then came the real work: finding buyers outside the family who could afford the pieces. 's will never embarrass "I said my God what has happened Lou?" this article and the video clip contained therein will help to bring more attention by Barr McClellan, father of White House press secretary Scott McClellan. Clyde Tolson, John J. McCloy, Jack Ruby, George Brown (of Brown and Root), numerous or found dead having allegedly shot themselves five times in the head. Allred with a tall, scarecrow-thin Lyndon Johnson. Enjoy Dallas' best trends, hot properties, and tips from local designers to help you nest in style delivered weekly. 3. Contact: Allie Beth Allman & Associates/Christies International Real Estate, 214-521-7355; alliebeth.com, 2023 Cond Nast. Let them come and buy the works. After all, the proceeds would go to Lupes favorite charities. No causeways extend from the mainland. Manchester's book. It was the rare occasion when a Hunt squared off against a Murchison, but when it finally happened, in Lamar's and Clint's pursuit of an NFL team for Dallas, all Texas paid attention. According to Brown's story she was invited to a social party at the mansion of Clint Murchison, the Texas oil tycoon. (G.J. Johnson hatched the assassination plot. And it was at the Murchison mansion, just before Kennedy's trip to Dallas in 1963, where the fate of both LBJ and JFK would eventually be decided. which revolved socially and politically around Johnson and Hunt and included high After lunch at the Murchison house, Roosevelt returned the hospitality with a dinner in the salon of the Potomac for Richardson, Murchison and Wynne. They called me and said, We dont know what to do with all this stuff. The estate managers had first offered the job to Sothebys auction house in New York. Clint Murchison wanted that home to stay in the family for sentimental reasons. and I looked up.he had this motorcade route.it Hunt, an American oil tycoon, and Lyndon The island in the Caribbean. Ive just met the most remarkable young man, Roosevelt said. theories - an astounding deposition of a deliberately planned criminal conspiracy Most Revealing Wink Of The 20th Century: Congressman Albert Thomas winks The projection room has no projector and the movie screen dangles limply from the rafters. The infamous November 21, 1963 "party" at the oil baron Clint Murchison mansion in Dallas, Texas consisting of Richard Nixon, J. Edgar Hoover, H.L. FT. $6.9 MILLION Built in the early 20th century for oil magnate Clint Murchison, this grand Colonial-style manse anchors nearly three acres of. Much of it was enormous in size and cutting-edge contemporary. On Wednesday, May 5, a wind blew out of the southeast and pushed up a swell that rolled under the Potomac as it sat anchored in the shallow bay water near the Aransas Pass lighthouse. mapped out a strategy to kill Kennedy. happened to John Kennedy - he and Lyndon Johnson," said Brown. When Lupe Murchison died, she left behind a world-renowned, multimillion-dollar modern art collection and instructions to sell it all for charity. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of evidence for this claim which is understandable since if powerful men met to finalize the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK) the next day one shouldn't expect to find evidence of this meeting easily. SOB's" would never embarrass him again. Johnson hatched the assassination plot. Ron has a tremendous eye for art, and he treats people fairly. Such praise (and much envy) is echoed throughout Dallas art community. programs before the assassination, were mysteriously set-up in homosexual scandals Our website, archdigest.com, offers constant original coverage of the interior design and architecture worlds, new shops and products, travel destinations, art and cultural events, celebrity style, and high-end real estate as well as access to print features and images from the AD archives. The a masked gunman invaded Cullen Davis' hilltop mansion . The Murchison/Wynne home on Matagorda Island is now part of a wildlife refuge. The average visitor spent two hours. At least 500 buttons and switches, arranged in two drawers and on two panels, controlled everything, from a 35 mm. Richardson and his friend Clint Murchison Sr. played hosts to President Franklin Roosevelt in 1937. ), The USS Potomac anchored in the bay behind Matagorda and San Jose islands while President Franklin Roosevelt spent eight days fishing. Mr. Murchison, who had been debilitated. In 1985, Murchison designed, constructed and financed a 30-acre campus-style headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys called Valley Ranch located in Irving, Texas. "They had this lodge.outside of Dallas and they would meet there.he mafia kingpins, several newspaper and TV reporters, and Richard Nixon. '', Eileen Ray and Clemence Rawley had come to see how a legend lived. Clint Murchison, Jr. The Murchison Mansion "My God, they are going to kill us all" The National Archives. (The property had been heavily protected by armed guards since 1981, when Lupe was robbed at gunpoint and held in the trunk of her car in her garage.). Clinton Williams Murchison, Sr., oil and gas developer and financier, son of John Weldon and Clara (Williams) Murchison, was born in Tyler on April 11, 1895. A three-story mansion in San Antonio's Monte Vista Historic District once owned by powerful oilman Clint Murchison has hit the market for $1.5 million. The president will be very happy indeed to see you when he lands at Galveston. He made a fortune disobeying the rules., If I had been guilty of all the things they say I have done, Murchison said years later, Id be under the jail, not in it., Several months before FDRs Texas trip, a Murchison subsidiary company had been criminally charged for running hot oil. When Lyndon B. Johnson finally arrived, she said: Ancient dunes are unmarred by condos, and spring break is a distant thunder. Among his companies was the Southern Union Company. Though silent when Roosevelt sprang it on the Cabinet, Cactus Jack was seen later in the Senate lobby pinching his nose with his thumb and forefinger. After Wynne took control of American Liberty from his partner Clint Murchison, he relocated its headquarters to a rambling Mediterranean house overlooking Turtle Creek. straight from the horse's mouth. Eleanor Parker passed by. Son of an oil tycoon, Clint Murchison Jr. received $200 million after the death of his father in the late 1960s. Her first book, "THE MURCHISONS: The Rise and Fall of a Texas Dynasty," was published in 1989. Clint Murchison refused to fire coach Tom Landry after a rocky start and gave him . About the only promising name was that of Clint W. Murchison who, according to the memo, came into the East Texas Field several months after it started with no money and [after] a little over three years sold out for about five million dollars., Of Richardson, the memorandum said he was in debt and borrows money to develop leases. But that was obsolete information. came back to Dallas I was walking.with him.and he Convention, at which John F. Kennedy was elected as presidential candidate with the early 80's, to this day her shocking revelations about how he had told her The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The Murchison estate also included what the family called the "Big House," a 22,000-square-foot mansion that Clint Sr. built and which Lupe abandoned in 1998, when she completed her house. She said that among the guests were J. Edgar Hoover, Clyde Tolson, Richard Nixon, H. L. Hunt, Fred Korth, Cliff Carter, etc. Well count down the biggest leases and sales in our Real Estate Annual. When the big tankers leave Corpus Christi bound for open water, they thread the jetties of Aransas Pass, where dolphins breach ahead of their bows. (A decade later, Wynne would win control of the Matagorda property in a coin toss. Hunt) and H.L. ''. Start your own chapter in the former home of the Dallas Polo Club. the world's media watching over 40 years ago - what would stop the same lineage As the Saltaire pulled slowly away, the president maneuvered in on its stern and followed several miles to the San Jose dock. hitmen after the assassination, and upon hearing of the strange deaths of many Garrett insisted the auction be held on the Murchison estate. event included J. Edgar Hoover, Clyde Tolson, John J. McCloy, Jack. As the waves broke to the right, Roosevelts procession rolled for miles along the isolated beach. Murchison, 63, no longer lives here. The night before the Kennedy assassination, Lyndon Baines Johnson met stung me that he would be this involved in knowing where the President of the In 1917 he joined the United States Army and during the First World War he became a first lieutenant. On May 1, Roosevelt was on deck when the destroyer USS Moffett steamed between the jetties at Aransas Pass and delivered the president to his yacht, the USS Potomac, which was anchored in the bay on the lee side of San Jose Island. Journalists defined the two men by their fortunes, but their unshakeable loyalty to each other was forged by their misfortunes. finally agreed that Lyndon The younger Clint Murchison filed for bankruptcy a year later, reportedly with $150 million in debts. Roosevelt, who had been stricken with polio 15 years earlier, feared a fire at sea. Shafts of light penetrate the rotted ceiling where Billy Graham slept. The kitchen is bigger than two average living rooms. Clint W. Jr. & John D Murchison Credit: The Denver Post Dallas Women Visit National Jewish Mrs. Ben K. Miller, left, president of the Denver Women's Committee of National Jewish Hospital, welcomes Mrs.. had been shot and immediately thought to call Lou Sterrett , who was an Austin The estate stayed in the family for many years but was eventually sold in the late 1980s, and the land was converted into a lovely gated community. What they saw left them less than impressed. programs before the assassination, were mysteriously set-up in homosexual scandals (Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association). Personal. Fishing guide Ted Mathews (left) looks on. When Johnson was elected, the president serendipitously announced a fishing trip to Port Aransas. I guess we`re going to be selling a little romance this weekend.''. which revolved socially and politically around Johnson and Hunt and included high Like Lupes late husband, Hall is tall, handsome, sophisticated, and very much a cowboy. When he. The program honors North Texas top projects, transactions, dealmakers, and industry leaders. Besides the sheer size of it, there was the matter of timing. The party began to wind down at around 11 o' clock when the attendees were Murchison, was one of the earliest settlers to arrive in Athens and established the first bank in Henderson County in 1890. Some guests excused themselves to freshen and change for lunch. But the Cowboys owner you rarely heard from was the original owner, Clint. He built a mansion in Houston during the Depression and justified it as a civil enterprise, bringing jobs to hundreds of . Adjusted for inflation, this is the equivalent of $1 . The benediction continued when the president invited LBJ to ride with him in his private railcar to College Station. If they wanted any of it, they would have to buy it from her estate. Richardson was taller and more talkative, with a limp he worked to conceal. The views expressed herein are the writers' own and do not necessarily reflect those of Looking Glass News. But medium-priced art in the $1,000 to $10,000 range is not doing well.. ''The nicest thing I can say for this whole house,'' Rawley concluded, ''is it has swell closet space. Before the jets, there were yachts. "When they met in California Joe Kennedy, John Kennedy's father, and H.L. He would go on to acquire a NFL franchise, the Dallas Cowboys, which he owned for many years before his son Clint Jr. lost most of his holdings. 2. The man who controlled the spigot to this pipeline of cash was Lyndon Johnson. Hes working in metal from cardboard models that he made after his wife Deborah died of colon cancer in November 2000. With Richardson behind the wheel, Ruth Roosevelt sat in the back and sipped a soft drink. SOB's" would never embarrass him again. rolling oil tycoons, judges and then FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. I never even got to first base with her in trying to sell her anything. But luck had it that Hall knew the managers of Lupes estate (two lawyers, two CPAs, and a banker), not one of whom knew a thing about art. 23 Ash Bluff Ln, Dallas, TX 75248 is currently not for sale. Hunt, an American oil tycoon, and Lyndon Those present at the event included J. Edgar Hoover, happened to John Kennedy - he and Lyndon Johnson," said Brown. about two years prior to the assassination of John Kennedy." Murchison was friends with Madeleine Duncan Brown, an advertising agent who would later claim to have had an extended love affair and a son with President Lyndon B. Johnson. And Sid Richardson, the Big Four's fun-loving bachelor, was a friend of several presidents, including, most . Brown said that on the evening of November 21, 1963 the night before the assassination she went to a party near Dallas at one of Clint Murchison's houses. In their twenties, the brothers began speculating on land and buildings in the Cleveland area. of the assassination, telling her the Irish mafia (meaning the Kennedy family) Latest Headlines Odd News . While selling the collection, Hall could live in Lupes $7.5 million contemporary home in Addison, on 12 acres of rolling lawn, dotted with dinosaur-sized sculptures, bound by wooded creeks. in 1960 - when H.L. Then there was also the problem of the client: he had never met her, nor was he likely to. The multimillion-dollar collection of 450 works, including pieces by Roy Lichtenstein, Henry Moore, and Morris Louis, had been amassed during more than half a century by Lucille and John Murchison. Sixty-foot hallways lead into room after room, crammed with all manner of stuff: antique furniture, porcelain, china, leaded glass, crystal, jewelry, silverware, gilt mirrors, lamps, oriental carpets, pottery, paintings, Flemish tapestries and, in the carport, a 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow with ''78,000 miles showing.''. Clinton Williams "Clint" Murchison Sr. (April 11, 1895 - June 20, 1969) [1] was a noted Texas -based oil magnate and political operative. Clinton Williams Murchison, Sr. (April 11, 1895 - 20 June 1969), was a noted Texas-based oil magnate and political operative. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. about two years prior to the assassination of John Kennedy.". Donated by Ruth Eidson, formerly Ruth Roosevelt, to the FDR Library; Archival film of Lyndon Johnson on San Jose Island, LBJ Library; Clint: A Biography, by Ernestine Orrick Van Buren, 1986; A Rendezvous with Destiny, by Elliott Roosevelt and James Brough, 1975; Fishing Yesterdays Gulf Coast, by Barney Farley, 2002; The Path to Power, by Robert A. Caro, 1981, 1982; Life on Matagorda Island, by Wayne H. McAlister, 2004; The Big Rich, by Bryan Burrough, 2009; The Murchisons, by Jane Wolfe, 1989, Five days after Pearl Harbor, Dwight Eisenhower boarded a train at Dallas Union Station and was invited to the drawing room of Sid Richardson. In the official log of the trip, Pa Watson wrote simply, The party had a grand time at table lots of fun., From left: An unidentified man, President Roosevelts son Elliott, President Roosevelt, Dudley Golding and Sid Richardson preparing to leave Richardsons dock for a tour of San Jose Island. Murchison died at 10:40 p.m. Monday at Gaston Episcopal Hospital after developing pneumonia, which complicated a crippling nerve disease similar to Lou Gehrig's disease. I suggested to him that you all should have your picture made together and this was entirely agreeable.. finally agreed that Lyndon Walls papered with a delicate sylvan motif and detailed millwork lend this dining room a sophisticated air. The group included Jack Ruby, the Dallas nightclub owner who would later shoot Ray and a friend, Clemence Rawley, had been cruising the 40,000-sq.-ft. North Dallas mansion of Clint Murchison Jr., former owner of the Dallas Cowboys, former wealthy person and one of the most notable of the oil-rich to go belly-up when the slump hit Texas three years ago. By John Werner Tribune-Herald staff writer. He was 63 years old. In a curious bit of timing, a few days after Roosevelts lunch at Matagorda, the company changed its plea from not guilty to no contest and paid a nominal $17,500 fine. The owners were afforded a limited lease (1942) and continued full use and enjoyment of their property, which sold in the 1980's through The Nature Conservancy to the U.S. Murchison's contribution to the anti-Tydings campaign was just the beginning of his generosity to McCarthy; he donated . The rest of the party boarded Richardsons boat and a Potomac tender. In the 1920s, they teamed up as lease hounds in the oil fields. before the assassination. 1961 Lincoln Continental. 0 MILES Larger Map Update this organization Report a problem Create a widget Submit an event Trending on A&S. Art&Seek is made possible in part by: Murchison and his wife, Anne, have moved to more modest quarters where he has around-the-clock nursing care. If they had the gall to blow the President's head off in broad daylight with But, suffering from . Once the residence of Dallas oilman Clint Murchison and Toddie Lee Wynne, the abandoned 13,000-foot-square mansion on Matagorda Island is now home to rattlesnakes and barn owls. The last flickering image of John Wayne faded decades ago. Tommy the Cork, and told Johnson that if he needed something in Washington, he should call Tommy. Selling millions in art during a down market would not be easy.