Jake and Nancy Hamon Papers, 1918-2010:

A Guide to the Collection

Biographical Note

Jake Hamon was born on July 24, 1902 in Lawton, Oklahoma. After dropping out of the University of Chicago, he was working in the oil fields by 1920. He entered into a partnership with Edwin B. Cox in 1921. In 1934, he became the youngest ever appointed director of the American Petroleum Institute and the only independent oil man to serve as its chairman. The partnership with Cox dissolved in 1950 and Hamon incorporated independently as the Hamon Oil Co. He was very involved in arts and civic organizations such as the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, The Dallas Zoological Society, and Southern Methodist University.

Nancy Hamon was born on December 12, 1918 in San Antonio, Texas to McMaster Blackburn and Estelle Blackburn (known as Mamacita). She attended the University of Texas at Austin briefly before leaving for her first marriage which lasted only four years. She then briefly worked in Hollywood as a dancer and actress, with roles in films such as Tropicana (1943). During World War II, she spent a year in Hawaii with an Army special services acting troupe, playing the lead in Petticoat Fever opposite a young Carl Reiner. She married Jake L. Hamon in 1949 and moved to Dallas. Mrs. Hamon knew how to plan a good party and was known for the extravagant theme parties she hosted with her husband during the 1950s and 1960s. Themes included circus, Moulin Rouge, and a Silent Movies theme which featured Louis Armstrong.

Mrs. Hamon was a legendary philanthropist and Dallas benefitted from her enormous generosity, particularly to the arts, education and medicine. For example, Mrs. Hamon contributed millions of dollars to such causes as the Jake and Nancy Hamon Arts Library at Southern Methodist University, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas Museum of Art, Winspear Opera House, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, the Dallas Zoo, The University of Texas at Dallas, the Salvation Army, the Dallas Public Library, Buckner Children and Family Services of North Texas, the African American Museum at Fair Park, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; the Dallas Theater Center; and numerous other causes in other cities such as San Antonio, San Francisco and New York.

Sources:

"Nancy B. Hamon, one of Dallas; foremost philanthropists, dies at 92." Dallas Morning News. July 30, 2011.

“Famed Dallas Oilman Jake Hamon, 82, Dies.” Dallas Morning News. May 4, 1985.

Jake and Nancy Hamon papers, Jerry Bywaters Special Collections, Hamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist University

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Jake and Nancy Hamon papers include a wide variety of materials, consisting primarily of correspondence, photographs and scrapbooks. The bulk of the materials can be dated from 1940 to 2000. In addition, the collection contains artwork, clippings, documents, ephemera, manuscripts, published works, scrapbooks, photographs and three-dimensional objects.

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Restrictions

Access to Collection:

Collection is open for research use. Appointment with curatorial staff at Hamon Library is required.

Publication Rights:

Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the curatorial staff at Hamon Library.

Copyright Statement:

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.

Sensitive Material Statement:

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications for which Bywaters Special Collections/Hamon Arts Library assumes no responsibility.

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Related Materials

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Jake and Nancy Hamon papers, Jerry Bywaters Special Collections, Hamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist University.

Acquisition Information

Gift, Nancy B. Hamon Estate, 2012.

Processing information

The papers were left in the original order with folder titles retained except when unclear. Folded documents were flattened, placed in acid-free folders, and stored in acid-free boxes. Many of the scrapbooks were conserved and digitized for preservation and research purposes.

Processed by

Emily George Grubbs, 2014.

Finding aid written by

Emily George Grubbs, 2014.

Encoded by

Ada Negraru, 2014.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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