Oscar S. Wyatt, Jr.

Born in Beaumont, Texas on July 11, 1924, Oscar Sherman Wyatt, Jr. is recognized as a successful self-made global entrepreneur. Wyatt began flying at a young age, working as a crop duster for a farm near his Texas home.  He enrolled at Texas A&M University in 1941 but withdrew after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and joined the United States Army Air Forces. As a pilot during World War II, Wyatt flew missions in the Pacific Theater, earning multiple decorations by the end of the war. He later returned to college and graduated in 1949 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Six years later, in 1955—using his 1949 Ford as collateral for an $800 loan—he founded what became the Coastal Corporation. The company grew to become one of America’s most diversified energy businesses, making the Fortune 500 list in 1966. Wyatt continued piloting his own aircraft well into his 80s. He and his wife Lynn, married since 1963, are true philanthropists, providing countless contributions to the communities of greater Houston and South Texas for decades.