Jake Simmons facts for kids

Joseph Jacob Simmons Jr. (born January 17, 1901 – died March 24, 1981) was a very important African-American oilman. He started with very little but became one of the most successful and well-known black business leaders in the oil industry.

As an internationally known oil broker, he worked with big companies like Phillips Petroleum Company and Signal Oil and Gas Company. Together, they helped open up oil fields in African countries such as Liberia, Nigeria, and Ghana.

In 1969, he made history by becoming the first black person to be chosen for the National Petroleum Council. This council advises the U.S. government on oil and gas issues.

Early Life and Dreams

Joseph Jacob Simmons Jr. was born in what is now Haskell, Oklahoma. He was the ninth of ten children in his family. His great-grandfather had been a slave of the Creek Indian tribe. Later, his great-grandfather became a chief and a leader for many freed Creek slaves.

Simmons' father owned a large 500-acre ranch in the Haskell area. Growing up, young Simmons helped with farm work, like fixing fences and working with cattle. When he was just 10 years old, he told his father, "I want to be an oil man."

A famous educator, Booker T. Washington, visited Oklahoma and stayed at the Simmons ranch. He encouraged Simmons to attend the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. At Tuskegee, Simmons learned to enjoy hard work and understood that success comes from being able to inspire and work well with people.

After finishing his studies at Tuskegee in 1919, Simmons returned to Oklahoma. He then married Willie Eva Flowers.

Building an Oil Business

Because he was a member of the Creek Nation, Simmons received 160 acres of land. In the 1920s, oil was discovered on his land! This helped him become an oil broker and entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is someone who starts and runs a business. Simmons began buying and selling oil leases, which are agreements to drill for oil on land. He also started a real estate business.

During the Great Depression, a time when many people struggled, Simmons helped African Americans in East Texas buy farmland. These families had earned money from the oil boom in their area. Meanwhile, Simmons expanded his oil lease business into Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kansas. He worked with famous oil leaders like William Skelly and Frank Phillips.

With help from his sons and L. W. Thomas, Simmons built the Simmons Royalty Co. This company grew to include not just oil, but also cattle and insurance businesses.

In the 1960s, Simmons played a key role in huge deals between major American oil companies and newly independent African countries. His work made him known around the world in the oil business. In 1969, he was appointed to the National Petroleum Council, showing his importance in the industry.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Joseph Simmons refused to let bigotry (unfair treatment based on race) stop him. He taught his children, "You are equal to anyone." He believed that having good jobs was the most important way for African Americans to gain economic power.

Simmons helped black people learn valuable skills in his businesses. Then, he helped them find jobs in other companies. He once said, "It is a waste of life for a man to fail to achieve when he has the opportunity."

In 1938, Simmons took a stand against separate schools for black and white children. He filed one of the first court cases against this system and took it all the way to the Supreme Court. He also served as president of the Oklahoma branch of the NAACP, a leading civil rights organization. He also led the National Negro Business League.

Simmons Family Legacy

Simmons' children followed in his footsteps, making their own contributions. His son, J. J. "Jake" III, was vice president of the family business. He later worked for the U.S. government in the Interior Department during the Kennedy administration. He also served during the Reagan administration and was a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Another son, Donald, became an economist and took over the Simmons Royalty Company. His daughter, Blanche, became a social worker. His son Kenneth, who studied at Harvard, became a professor of architecture at the University of California, Berkeley.