Frank M. McMahon

Infobox Person
name = Frank McMahon


image_size =
caption =
birth_date = October 2, 1902
birth_place = Moyie, British Columbia, Canada
death_date = May 20, 1986
death_place = Hamilton, Bermuda
occupation = Oil and Natural Gas Executive
Racehorse owner/breeder

Frank Murray Patrick McMahon (October 2, 1902 - May 20, 1986) was a Canadian businessman best known as the founder and first chairman of Westcoast Transmission Co. Ltd. whom the July 15, 1957 issue of "TIME" magazine called "The man who did the most to open up northwest Canada's wilderness—and convince oilmen of its treasures." [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,809686-2,00.html] In addition, McMahon was a major racehorse owner/breeder whose Thoroughbreds competed in North America and Europe and who won the 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame colt, Majestic Prince.

Pacific Petroleums

Frank McMahon was born in the village of Moyie in the East Kootenays of British Columbia, Canada, the son of a hard-rock miner. As a young man, he worked as a driller for British Columbia mining companies until 1927 when he founded his own diamond-drilling contracting business which he expanded into drilling for oil and natural gas. Frank McMahon and two brothers established West Turner Petroleums to explore and develop oil deposits in the Turner Valley Oilfields in Alberta. Their major find generated sufficient revenues and income to allow for expansion through acquisitions and exploration that led to another major find in 1948 at Leduc, Alberta. McMahon changed the company's name to Pacific Petroleums Ltd. and set up headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the 1940s, McMahon's operations began oil and gas exploration in the Peace River Region and in 1952 dug the first of many high-producing gas wells at Fort St. John.

Westcoast Transmission

McMahon saw an enormous opportunity to supply natural gas to the huge United States market. In 1949 he incorporated Westcoast Transmission Co. Ltd. whose business plan included the construction of a 650-mile gas pipeline from Taylor in north-eastern British Columbia to the United States. McMahon personally began lobbying the Canadian and American governments to remove their restrictions on the export and import of natural gas. After exhaustive efforts he succeeded and in 1955 construction began on the Westcoast Pipeline, Canada's first "big-inch" pipeline. Along with its gathering system, processing plants and compressor stations were completed in the fall of 1957. In 1964, Westcoast Transmission built another processing plant at Fort Nelson, British Columbia in support of an additional 250 mile line to the company's new discoveries in the Canadian Northwest.

After McMahon's death in 1986, Westcoast Transmission Co. Ltd. was renamed Westcoast Energy Inc. and in 2002 Duke Energy of Charlotte, North Carolina paid $8 billion for the company.

Frank McMahon's very significant contribution to Canada's economic prosperity was recognized by his election to the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

Thoroughbred horse racing

Frank McMahon, a founding member of the Jockey Club of Canada, raced Thoroughbreds on his own as well as in partnership with others. His Frank McMahon Stable Inc. won numerous races at racetracks across Canada including the 1966 British Columbia Derby at Exhibition Park Racetrack in Vancouver and the 1970 Canadian Derby at Edmonton, Alberta's Northlands Park.

Majestic Prince

He set up a racing stable in California with U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey-turned-trainer Johnny Longden. Among the horses they raced was the great Majestic Prince whose important stakes were was the 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Majestic Prince was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1988 and was listed at No. 46. in The Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century. In 1975, McMahon had another Triple Crown contender with Diabolo who finished third in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and was fourth in the Belmont Stakes.

Together with Calgary newspaper publisher Max Bell, Frank McMahon founded the Golden West Farms thoroughbred breeding operation at Okotoks, Alberta. Among its notable wins, Golden West Farms racing stable won the 1968 Queen's Plate with Merger. In partnership with American singer, Bing Crosby, McMahon and Bell owned Meadow Court who raced in Europe where he won the 1965 Irish Derby Stakes and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

McMahon also teamed up with Kentucky horseman Leslie Combs II of Spendthrift Farm to breed Crowned Prince who in 1970 became the first yearling to be sold at auction for half a million dollars. A younger brother of Majestic Prince, Frank McMahon won the bidding for Crowned Prince and sent him to race in England where he won the Dewhurst and Champagne Stakes and was the 1971 Champion two-year-old Colt in England.

Frank McMahon was inducted in the British Columbia Horse Racing Hall of Fame in the Breeders/Owners category.

McMahon Stadium

In 1960 Frank and brother George McMahon donated funds to help build a football stadium on the University of Calgary campus named. Named McMahon Stadium in their honor, in 2001 the McMahon brothers were named to the Calgary Stampeders Wall of Fame in the builder category.

Frank McMahon died in Hamilton, Bermuda in 1986.

References

* Brennan, Brian. "Alberta Originals" (2001) Fitzhenry & Whiteside ISBN 1894004760
* Gray, Earle. "Wildcatters : The Story of Pacific Petroleums and Westcoast Transmission" (1983) Cannon Book Distributers Ltd ISBN 077103539x
* "Canadian Who's Who", 1967-1969
* [http://stampeders.com/news_blogs/news/?id=2516 Calgary Stampeders Wall of Fame official website]
* [http://www.bchorseracinghalloffame.org/mcmahon_frank.htm British Columbia Horse Racing Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,857932-1,00.html December 27, 1954 TIME magazine article titled "The Big Poker Game" on Frank McMahon's plans for the Westcoast Transmission pipeline]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,937946,00.html October 21, 1957 TIME magazine article titled "Tycoon's Wing-Ding", a detailed account on Frank McMahon and the completion of the Westcoast Transmission pipeline]