The storied Houston family calls 388,000 acres in and around Harris County theirs thanks to the vision of patriarch Hugh Roy Cullen (1881–1957). After owning a seat on the Houston Cotton Exchange, Cullen turned to the oil business, pioneering now common practices such as deep drilling in abandoned oil wells. In 1932, he discovered the Tom O’Connor oil field, which went on to produce in excess of one billion barrels. During his lifetime and beyond, Cullen helped shape the region, focusing much of his philanthropy on the nascent University of Houston. Since its inception in 1949, the Cullen Foundation has distributed more than $500 million in grants for the arts and healthcare plus education. The Land Report 100 is the Magazine of the American Landowner’s annual look at the top landowners in the US.
Click here to read more.