We are all about the OIL & GAS Industry

JESS HARRIS COMPANY HISTORY
 
Since the first commercial discovery of oil in Pennsylvania, landmen have  been  a part of the oil and gas industry. Early day "leasehounds”always appeared with either rumor or fact of an oil and gas discovery, swarming in with the boom and disappearing with the bust. No lease play was ever complete without the ubiquitous, colorful presence of the landmen. One family endured to build an industry legacy for the landmen, still serving in that capacity after 90 years. Jess Harris Sr. of Oklahoma City was one of the most respected and best-known landmen in the of the profession. He began his career as a railroad man in the 1920s but soon succumbed to the oilpatch fever that was going on all around him in Hughes and Seminole counties in Oklahoma. His early successes there led him to the discoveries that were occurring in the Texas oil fields. It was there that Harris pooled assets with Tom Nix to form a partnership that would last for more than 30 years. Before the passing of Harris and Nix, the partnership would lease millions of acres for its clients in several states, as well as participate in drilling a significant number of wells. His son, Jess Harris Jr. (born 1919), joined the firm in 1953 and his grandson, Jess (Jay) Harris III (born in 1955), joined in 1974 and still runs the firm. For nine decades, the Harris family has been associated with the development of petroleum land management skills and professional ethics. It has long been a training ground for many fledgling land- men entering the industry. It was not uncommon for many majors and large independents working in the Mid-continent region to send their potential hires to the Harris firm for training. The partner- ship also helped found the Oklahoma City Association of Petroleum Landmen. The Harris family has traditionally shared its good fortune with the industry and the community, being well known for philanthropy and a willing ness to grubstake those in need. One of the many honors bestowed upon the Harris family today is the annual Jess Harris Memorial Golf Tournament, hosted by the Oklahoma City Association of Petroleum Landmen for more than 25 years as a benefit for local charities.