Buddy Fogelson

Elijah E. "Buddy" Fogelson (February 16, 1900 - December 1, 1987) was an American lawyer, Army Colonel, businessman, horse and cattle breeder, and philanthropist. Although born in Lincoln, Nebraska, he spent a large part of his life in Texas where he attended Texas Christian University in 1919 and 1920. He went on to make a fortune as a wildcatter in the oil industry.

In 1941 Buddy Fogelson acquired the Forked Lightning Ranch along the Pecos River about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico on which he raised Santa Gertrudis cattle. Over time he acquired adjacent parcels of land to swell the size of his ranch to 13,000 acres (53 km²).

World War II service

During America's participation in World War II, Fogelson served with the United States Army. Rising to the rank of Colonel, he served on General Eisenhower's staff and was the head of oil procurement for the Allied Forces. Immediately following the surrender of Germany in May 1945, Fogelson was part of the United States Military Mission in Moscow. Discharged from the Army, Fogelson returned to business in Texas where in 1947 he co-founded the Pan American Sulphur Company which developed and operated a major sulfur mine in Jaltipan, Veracruz, Mexico.

A friend of actor Peter Lawford, on a visit to Hollywood in 1948, Lawford introduced Buddy Folgelson to actress Greer Garson and the two married a year later. Their marriage lasted almost forty years until his death. Buddy Fogelson supported Garson's theatrical interest and formed Santa Fe Productions, Inc. that backed several Broadway plays. He is personally listed as the theatrical producer of "The Golden Age" (1963) and "The Passion of Josef D." (1964). [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=21712]

The couple maintained homes in Dallas and Los Angeles and spent a great deal of time at their Spanish style hacienda on the Forked Lightning Ranch. An owner/breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses, in 1971 Fogelson purchased Ack Ack from the estate of Harry F. Guggenheim. The horse earned the 1971 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse as well as the most prestigious United States Horse of the Year award. His son from a previous marriage, Gayle David Fogelson, is today involved in breeding and racing Thoroughbreds.

On Buddy Fogelson's death in 1987, the Forked Lightning Ranch was divided between his widow and his son. In early 1991, failing health forced the elderly Greer Garson-Fogelson to sell her portion of the ranch property. It was acquired by the Conservation Fund [http://www.conservationfund.org/] who donated it to the National Park Service. This portion of the property is now part of Pecos National Historical Park while another 5.5 thousand acres (22 km²) was purchased by actor Val Kilmer.

Philanthropy

The Fogelsons were financial supporters of Santa Fe opera and theatre. As benefactors to the College of Santa Fe they made large cash donations, built the E. E. Fogelson Library, and provided funding for scholarships for underprivileged students. Through the E. E. Fogelson and Greer Garson-Fogelson Charitable Foundation, the Fogelson Honors Forum at Texas Christian University was created through a $1 million gift. The E. E. "Buddy" Fogelson Scholarship is awarded to previous Field Scovell Scholarship Foundation recipients currently enrolled in college. There is the E. E. Fogelson and Greer Garson-Fogelson Distinguished Chair in Urology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and the University of Texas Health Science Center Distinguished Chair in Medical Research.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1982, Buddy Fogelson died in Dallas in 1987.

References

* [http://www.alumni.tcu.edu/newsletter/912006/91200613.htm Texas Christian University]
* [http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/un/large/ Truman Presidential Library]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2DA143EF930A35751C1A961948260 New York Times death notice]