Allan Hancock
Encyclopedia
George Allan Hancock was the owner of the Rancho La Brea Oil Company. He inherited Rancho La Brea
, including the La Brea Tarpits which he donated to Los Angeles County
. He also developed Hancock Park, Los Angeles. He was vice president
of the Los Angeles Hibernian Bank, treasurer of the Los Angeles Symphony Association, and president of the Automobile Association of Southern California. He owned the Santa Maria Valley Railroad
, established Rosemary Farm, and developed the Santa Maria Ice and Cold Storage Plant.
on July 26, 1875. He was the son of Major Henry Hancock
and Ida Haraszthy Hancock. He received his early education in the primary schools and at Brewer's Military Academy in San Mateo, California
, which he attended during 1888 and 1889. In 1890, he enrolled as a student at the Belmont School in Belmont, California
. Hancock was eight years old when his father died in 1884. He continued in the management and operation of La Brea ranch until he was 25. Hancock married Genevieve Deane Mullen in Los Angeles
on November 27, 1901. They had two children: Bertram Hancock and Rosemary Genevieve Hancock.
It was at this period that the early discoveries of petroleum were being made in California. Rancho La Brea
was one of the localities in which petroleum was found. In 1900, Ida Hancock granted a 20-year lease to the Salt Lake Oil Company for 1000 acres (4 km²) of Rancho La Brea. Hancock abandoned his agricultural pursuits and turned his attention to petroleum production. In 1907, after spending three years studying the industry, he urged his mother to allow him enough capital to sink a well on a portion of the property that had not already been leased to oil operators. With the assistance of William Orcutt Hancock, Hancock drilled 71 wells near the family's ranch house. Every well produced oil, and the Rancho La Brea Oil Company was born. The family's finances improved greatly with the beginning of oil pumping. The wells produced millions of barrels annually, resulting in the family becoming very wealthy. With that wealth, Hancock was able to pursue myriad interests and thus began a life of philanthropy.
He died on May 31, 1965 of a heart attack in Santa Maria, California
.
, the California Club
, the Los Angeles Athletic Club
, the Gamut Club, the Uplifters, the Knights of Columbus
and a number of yacht club
s.
Hancock donated seven million dollars to the University of Southern California
. The Allan Hancock College
in Santa Maria, California
is named for him.
Rancho La Brea
Rancho La Brea was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1828 to Antonio Jose Rocha and Nemisio Dominguez by José Antonio Carrillo, the Alcalde of Los Angeles. Rancho La Brea consisted of one square league of land of what is now Wilshire's Miracle Mile, ...
, including the La Brea Tarpits which he donated to Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
. He also developed Hancock Park, Los Angeles. He was vice president
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of the Los Angeles Hibernian Bank, treasurer of the Los Angeles Symphony Association, and president of the Automobile Association of Southern California. He owned the Santa Maria Valley Railroad
Santa Maria Valley Railroad
The Santa Maria Valley Railroad is a 14.8 mile shortline railroad that interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad's Coast Line at Guadalupe, California. It is owned by the Coast Belle Rail Corporation.-Traffic:...
, established Rosemary Farm, and developed the Santa Maria Ice and Cold Storage Plant.
Biography
Captain G. Allan Hancock was born in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on July 26, 1875. He was the son of Major Henry Hancock
Henry Hancock
Henry Hancock was a Harvard trained lawyer and a land surveyor working in California in the 1850s. He was the owner of Rancho La Brea, which included the La Brea Tar Pits.-Early life:...
and Ida Haraszthy Hancock. He received his early education in the primary schools and at Brewer's Military Academy in San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
, which he attended during 1888 and 1889. In 1890, he enrolled as a student at the Belmont School in Belmont, California
Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
. Hancock was eight years old when his father died in 1884. He continued in the management and operation of La Brea ranch until he was 25. Hancock married Genevieve Deane Mullen in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on November 27, 1901. They had two children: Bertram Hancock and Rosemary Genevieve Hancock.
It was at this period that the early discoveries of petroleum were being made in California. Rancho La Brea
Rancho La Brea
Rancho La Brea was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1828 to Antonio Jose Rocha and Nemisio Dominguez by José Antonio Carrillo, the Alcalde of Los Angeles. Rancho La Brea consisted of one square league of land of what is now Wilshire's Miracle Mile, ...
was one of the localities in which petroleum was found. In 1900, Ida Hancock granted a 20-year lease to the Salt Lake Oil Company for 1000 acres (4 km²) of Rancho La Brea. Hancock abandoned his agricultural pursuits and turned his attention to petroleum production. In 1907, after spending three years studying the industry, he urged his mother to allow him enough capital to sink a well on a portion of the property that had not already been leased to oil operators. With the assistance of William Orcutt Hancock, Hancock drilled 71 wells near the family's ranch house. Every well produced oil, and the Rancho La Brea Oil Company was born. The family's finances improved greatly with the beginning of oil pumping. The wells produced millions of barrels annually, resulting in the family becoming very wealthy. With that wealth, Hancock was able to pursue myriad interests and thus began a life of philanthropy.
He died on May 31, 1965 of a heart attack in Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
.
Civic life and legacy
Hancock was also interested in music and played the cello in the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. Hancock was a member of the Bohemian ClubBohemian Club
The Bohemian Club is a private men's club in San Francisco, California, United States.Its clubhouse is located at 624 Taylor Street in San Francisco...
, the California Club
California Club
The California Club is a private social club established in 1888 in downtown Los Angeles, the oldest such club in Southern California. Its building was erected in 1929 and 1930 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.- History :...
, the Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year....
, the Gamut Club, the Uplifters, the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
and a number of yacht club
Yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to sailing and yachting.-Description:Yacht Clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there are some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations...
s.
Hancock donated seven million dollars to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. The Allan Hancock College
Allan Hancock College
Allan Hancock College is a California public community college located in Santa Maria in northern Santa Barbara County. Approximately 11,000 credit and more than 5,500 noncredit and community services students enroll each semester.-History:...
in Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
is named for him.
See also
- Hancock Park, Los Angeles, CaliforniaHancock Park, Los Angeles, CaliforniaHancock Park is a historic and affluent urban neighborhood in Los Angeles, California roughly bounded by Van Ness Avenue to the East, Melrose Avenue to the North, La Brea Avenue to the West, and Wilshire Boulevard to the South.-History:...
- Santa Maria Public AirportSanta Maria Public Airport-References:-External links:*...
- Southern Cross (aircraft)Southern Cross (aircraft)Southern Cross is the name of the Fokker F.VIIb/3m trimotor monoplane which in 1928 was flown by Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew in the first ever trans-Pacific flight, from the mainland United States to Australia, about ....
Further reading
- Notables of the West Vol. II. Press Reference Library International News Service, pp. 67, 1915.