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Resting place:<br>

Resting place:<br>

Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Columbarium in Dalla<br>​​

Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Columbarium in Dalla<br>​​

|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]​ nominee for [[governor]] of Texas in 1964

|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]​ nominee for [[governor]] of Texas in 1964

|religion=[[Presbyterian]]​

|religion=[[Presbyterian]]​

'''Two daughters''':<br>

'''Two daughters''':<br>

Anne C. Crews<br>

Anne C. Crews<br>

Catherine C. Morris​}}​

Catherine C. Morris<br>

[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]​​}}​

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'''John Alston Crichton''', known as '''Jack Crichton''' (October 16, 1916 &ndash; December 10, 2007),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi|title=Social Security Death Index|publisher=ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=April 8, 2010}}</ref> was an [[oil]] and [[natural gas]] industrialist from [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], who was among the first of his ranks to recognize the importance of [[petroleum]] reserves in the [[Middle East]].<ref name=dmn>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/obituary.aspx?n=john-alston-crichton&pid=99503957|author=Joe Simnache|title="John Alston "Jack" Crichton: Oilman, military officer in WWII"|publisher=''Dallas Morning News''|date=December 15, 2007|accessdate=October 9, 2015}}</ref> In 1964, he carried the [[Republican Party|Republican]] banner in a fruitless campaign against the second-term  reelection of [[Governor]] [[John Connally]], then a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], who switched parties nine years later.

'''John Alston Crichton''', known as '''Jack Crichton''' (October 16, 1916 &ndash; December 10, 2007),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi|title=Social Security Death Index|publisher=ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=April 8, 2010}}</ref> was an [[oil]] and [[natural gas]] industrialist from [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], who was among the first of his ranks to recognize the importance of [[petroleum]] reserves in the [[Middle East]].<ref name=dmn>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/obituary.aspx?n=john-alston-crichton&pid=99503957|author=Joe Simnache|title="John Alston "Jack" Crichton: Oilman, military officer in WWII"|publisher=''Dallas Morning News''|date=December 15, 2007|accessdate=October 9, 2015}}</ref> In 1964, he carried the [[Republican Party|Republican]] banner in a fruitless campaign against the second-term  reelection of [[Governor]] [[John Connally]], then a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], who switched parties nine years later.

In 1990, Crichton (pronounced CRAY TON) wrote in an opinion piece for ''The Dallas Morning News'' that he first realized the vastness of the Middle Eastern oil reserves prior to 1950. He and a coworker determined, he said, that the Burgan Field in [[Kuwait]], for example, held ten billion barrels of crude oil. In 1951, he helped to establish San Juan Oil Company in Dallas, where he became the vice president of operations. During the 1950s, he took a group of American businessmen to [[Yemen]] to search for oil. During his long career, he was the president of the Yemen Development Corporation and the Dorchester Gas Corporation, Crichton was also involved in the mining of [[copper]], [[zinc]], [[gold]], [[silver]], and [[nickel]] through his Arabian Shield Development Company.<ref name=dmn/>​

In 1990, Crichton (pronounced CRAY TON) wrote in an opinion piece for ''The Dallas Morning News'' that he first realized the vastness of the Middle Eastern oil reserves prior to 1950. He and a coworker determined, he said, that the Burgan Field in [[Kuwait]], for example, held ten billion barrels of crude oil. In 1951, he helped to establish San Juan Oil Company in Dallas, where he became the vice president of operations. During the 1950s, he took a group of American businessmen to [[Yemen]] to search for oil. During his long career, he was the president of the Yemen Development Corporation and the Dorchester Gas Corporation, Crichton was also involved in the mining of [[copper]], [[zinc]], [[gold]], [[silver]], and [[nickel]] through his Arabian Shield Development Company.<ref name=dmn/>​

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==Early years and education==​

==Background==​

Crichton was born on a [[cotton]] plantation in the community of Crichton near Coushatta in Red River Parish in northwestern  [[Louisiana]]. He graduated in 1933 from Clifton Ellis Byrd High School]] in [[Shreveport]] and then enrolled at [[Texas A&M University]] in [[College Station, Texas|College Station]]. He played [[tennis]], [[basketball]], and ran cross country track. His classmates included future industrialist H. R. "Bum" Bright and Earle Cabell] later a [[mayor]] of Dallas, who unseated veteran Republican [[U.S. Representative]] Republican Bruce Reynolds Alger in 1964 landslide for [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. At TAMU, Crichton wrote an award-winning essay, "The Political Career of [[Huey Long|Huey P. Long]]".<ref name=spartacus>{{cite web|url=http://spartacus-educational.com/MDcrichton.htm|title=Jack Alston Crichton|publisher=spartacus-educational.com|accessdate=October 9, 2015}}</ref>  Crichton served TAMU as the president of the Lettermen's Association and chairman of the Development Foundation. He also served on the board of the Association of Former Students from 1965 to 1968, was the association president in 1967, and in 1983 was named a "Distinguished Alumnus."<ref name=tamu>"Association past president Jack Crichton  '37 passes away, Aggienetwork.com, accessed April 8, 2010; no longer on-line.}}</ref> He later obtained a [[Master of Science]] degree from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]. at which he was affiliated with Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.<ref name=dmn/>​

Crichton was born on a [[cotton]] plantation in the community of Crichton near Coushatta in Red River Parish in northwestern  [[Louisiana]]. He graduated in 1933 from Clifton Ellis Byrd High School]] in [[Shreveport]] and then enrolled at [[Texas A&M University]] in [[College Station, Texas|College Station]]. He played [[tennis]], [[basketball]], and ran cross country track. His classmates included future industrialist H. R. "Bum" Bright and Earle Cabell] later a [[mayor]] of Dallas, who unseated veteran Republican [[U.S. Representative]] Republican Bruce Reynolds Alger in 1964 landslide for [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. At TAMU, Crichton wrote an award-winning essay, "The Political Career of [[Huey Long|Huey P. Long]]".<ref name=spartacus>{{cite web|url=http://spartacus-educational.com/MDcrichton.htm|title=Jack Alston Crichton|publisher=spartacus-educational.com|accessdate=October 9, 2015}}</ref>  Crichton served TAMU as the president of the Lettermen's Association and chairman of the Development Foundation. He also served on the board of the Association of Former Students from 1965 to 1968, was the association president in 1967, and in 1983 was named a "Distinguished Alumnus."<ref name=tamu>"Association past president Jack Crichton  '37 passes away, Aggienetwork.com, accessed April 8, 2010; no longer on-line.}}</ref> He later obtained a [[Master of Science]] degree from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]. at which he was affiliated with Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.<ref name=dmn/>

 

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Crichton served in the [[United States Army]] during [[World War II]] as a field artillery officer and special agent. He won the Air Medal, five Battle Stars, and the [[Bronze Star]]. He retired as a colonel  in the Army Reserve.<ref name=tamu/>​

Crichton served in the [[United States Army]] during [[World War II]] as a field artillery officer and special agent. He won the Air Medal, five Battle Stars, and the [[Bronze Star]]. He retired as a colonel  in the Army Reserve.<ref name=tamu/>​

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