Changes

Benedum subsequently asked Clarke to develop a geological report on the  state of [[Florida]]. Clark, Benedum, and Trees leased a million acres, mostly in Collier County in the Everglades. They hired Gulf Oil Company to perform vital geophysical work. On September 26, 1943, the Humble Oil Company, which had bought out Gulf for $1 million in investment, drilled a well at a depth of 11,726 feet. This was the first oil discovery in Florida in the Collier County field developed by Benedum, Trees, and Clarke. Trees had died a few months before the Florida discovery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aoghs.org/states/first-florida-oil-well/|title=First Florida Oil Well|publisher=aoghs.org|accessdate=February 9, 2015}}</ref> Then Clarke with the permission of Generalissimo [[Rafael Trujillo]] took a concession with mineral rights in the Azua Basin of the [[Dominican Republic]]. Clarke leased alone another million acres in Florida through Sun Oil Company.<ref name=interview/>​

Benedum subsequently asked Clarke to develop a geological report on the  state of [[Florida]]. Clark, Benedum, and Trees leased a million acres, mostly in Collier County in the Everglades. They hired Gulf Oil Company to perform vital geophysical work. On September 26, 1943, the Humble Oil Company, which had bought out Gulf for $1 million in investment, drilled a well at a depth of 11,726 feet. This was the first oil discovery in Florida in the Collier County field developed by Benedum, Trees, and Clarke. Trees had died a few months before the Florida discovery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aoghs.org/states/first-florida-oil-well/|title=First Florida Oil Well|publisher=aoghs.org|accessdate=February 9, 2015}}</ref> Then Clarke with the permission of Generalissimo [[Rafael Trujillo]] took a concession with mineral rights in the Azua Basin of the [[Dominican Republic]]. Clarke leased alone another million acres in Florida through Sun Oil Company.<ref name=interview/>​

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Clarke recalled that unlike [[John D. Rockefeller]], Benedum encouraged independent oil drillers. Clarke went to Pittsburgh for the occasion of Benedum's 80th birthday dinner held on July 16, 1949. He recalled:​​

Clarke recalled that unlike [[John D. Rockefeller]], Benedum encouraged independent oil drillers. Clarke went to Pittsburgh for the occasion of Benedum's 80th birthday dinner held on July 16, 1949, at which:​​<blockquote>​

<blockquote>​

There were governors, senators, men of industry, and I've never heard from any group of men in my whole life the amount of nice things that these people had to say about Mr. Benedum during that birthday dinner. ...​

There were governors, senators, men of industry, and I've never heard from any group of men in my whole life the amount of nice things that these people had to say about Mr. Benedum during that birthday dinner. ...<br>​

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Mr. Benedum has been known around Pittsburgh and around the industry as a maker of millionaires.<ref>This statement was made at a time when millionaires were rare in the United States..</ref> He hasn't tried to keep it all to himself --  he's taken other people in with him. All of his associates that have been with him have all turned out to be millionaires or almost millionaires and some of them have made several millions of dollars by sticking to him and working with him. I think that's extremely commendable, because I've known in my life a number of great men who have been moneymakers, but a great portion of them have always wanted to get all of the money for themselves. They didn't want anybody else to share it with them. So I think it's extremely commendable that Mr. Benedum has never been a man who wanted to make all the money.  ...<ref name=interview/></blockquote>​

Mr. Benedum has been known around Pittsburgh and around the industry as a maker of millionaires.<ref>This statement was made at a time when millionaires were rare in the United States..</ref> He hasn't tried to keep it all to himself --  he's taken other people in with him. All of his associates that have been with him have all turned out to be millionaires or almost millionaires and some of them have made several millions of dollars by sticking to him and working with him. I think that's extremely commendable, because I've known in my life a number of great men who have been moneymakers, but a great portion of them have always wanted to get all of the money for themselves. They didn't want anybody else to share it with them. So I think it's extremely commendable that Mr. Benedum has never been a man who wanted to make all the money.  ...<ref name=interview/></blockquote>​