William Marvin "Bill" Majors, Jr., Esq.

MAJORS After a long, wonderful life and career, William M. Majors, Jr. died peacefully on May 18, 2005. Bill, the only child of Will and Julia Majors, was born on February 6, 1910 in Girard, Kansas. The following year, the family moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma, which remained home as he grew up. After graduating from Principia High School in St. Louis, Missouri, he attended the University of Oklahoma where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, "Who's Who on Campus, and founder of the Derby Club. And, as an early member of the "RufNeks cheer squad, he began his lifelong attachment to OU football. Graduating from the OU School of Law in 1934, he passed the Bar, married Bernice Seibold and practiced law in Edmond. In trying to enlist in the Armed Services after Pearl Harbor, he was recruited instead by the FBI, which was in dire need of attorneys. So, after expedited training at Quantico, he served as an FBI Special Agent during World War II at offices in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Detroit and Houston. His son, Bill, was born during the assignment to Detroit. At the end of the war, he tendered his resignation to J. Edgar Hoover, and launched a career in the oil business. Using his law background as a petroleum landman, he formed several companies before Cal-Ray Petroleum Corp., where he served as President since the 1950's. He relished his profession of landman and was instrumental in establishing a curriculum in Petroleum Land Management at the University of Oklahoma in 1958. He was very proud of this program which has now transitioned into "Energy Management. He made many long and cherished friendships while helping this program flourish. His work was generously acknowledged with numerous awards over the years. The establishment of the "Bill Majors Mentoring Program in Energy Management at the University was one of the high points in his life. Another was his receipt in 2003 of the American Association of Petroleum Landmen's "Lifetime Achievement Award", one of only a few ever given. Bill was fortunate to live a long and interesting life filled with enthusiasm and optimism. After the death of his beloved wife Bernice in 1977, he married Helen Anderson, a longtime friend of theirs, with whom he shared ten happy years before her death. While deeply saddened by the loss of both these special women, he continued to live life to the fullest and to enjoy his many friends. Professional affiliations were numerous including the American Bar association, The Oklahoma Bar Association (a member for 70 years!), the Oklahoma County Bar Association, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, the American Association of Petroleum Landmen, the Oklahoma City Association of Petroleum Landmen, and the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI. He was a longtime member of the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, the Petroleum Club, the Beacon Club and the Oklahoma City Men's Dinner Club. Mr. Majors is survived by his son and daughter-in-law William M. Majors III and Nancy L. Majors of Oklahoma City; his sister-in-law Nell Stone of Oklahoma City; his niece Carol Richards of Oklahoma City; his nephew G. W. Seibold III of Tulsa; and cousins Nancy Floyd of Sedan, Kansas and Dan O'Mahoney of Phoenix, Arizona. LaDonna Gibson and Jean Milburn are much appreciated for their many years of outstanding professional assistance to him in his business affairs. Special thanks to Dr. Fred Lybrand and his assistant Cathy Wedman, as well as Franklin Cummings (deceased) and Estelle Johnson, for the excellent health care they provided. Visitation will be held Saturday and Sunday. Family will receive friends at the Funeral Home on Sunday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Services will be on Monday, May 23, 2005 at 2:00 PM in the Hahn-Cook Street & Draper Chapel with interment at the Rose Hill Mausoleum. Contributions may be made to the OCAPL (Oklahoma City Association of Petroleum Landmen), 5900 Mosteller Drive, Suite 605, Oklahoma City, OK 73112, for use in support of the OU Energy Management Program or contributions may be made to your favorite charity.