Hunt, H. L.

Hunt, H. L. (Haroldson Lafayette)

(1889–1974) oil executive; born in Ramsey, Ill. He became rich from land speculation, oil lease trading, and drilling in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana in the 1920s. After acquiring the first East Texas oil site, he founded the Dallas-based Hunt Oil Company (1936), eventually the country's largest independent oil producer. He founded Facts Forum (1951–56) and Life Line (1958) to promote his ultraconservative political views.