William ‘Tex’ Moncrief remembered by friends as ‘intelligent, direct and loyal’
William Alvin “Tex” Moncrief was in his 90s, a few years ago, when he was in a meeting and recited a formula on pressurizing natural gas — something he learned at the University of Texas.
His ability to recall something he learned over seven decades ago was just a glimpse of his intelligence, loved ones said. Moncrief, described as a “true legend” in the oil business and a “great philanthropist” in Fort Worth, died Wednesday at the age of 101.
“He was an original Texas wildcatter, who developed a big company. [He was] very successful, philanthropic. He was focused on education, athletics and healthcare, [but] personally he was a great mentor and a great friend,” said Luther King, who knew Moncrief for over 35 years.
“He was very intelligent. Extremely intelligent. Very direct. ... Extremely loyal,” King continued. “And his questions were always spot on. They weren’t questions that some people would want to ask just to be able to ask questions. He grasped whatever the issue was, very quick, and was an excellent man.”
King was in the room when Moncrief recounted the formula, and it was one of the most impressive memories he had of his friend. Another, he recalled, was hearing about the 101-year-old’s service in World War II.
“Where he was located, in the Pacific, as a naval officer offshore of Japan when they dropped the bomb — it was pretty impressive to talk to someone who was there,” King said. “He was very patriotic in terms of love of his country.”
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King met Moncrief through work, where throughout the years the two not only formed a strong professional relationship, but personal as well.
That pattern was echoed throughout many of Moncrief’s partnerships, said Dee Kelly Jr., whose father worked with Moncrief and Moncrief’s father “Monty” for years, dating back to the 1950s.
“Mr. Moncrief was direct. He was tough. But he was generous when he believed in what you were presenting to him,” Kelly Jr. said. “That’s what most people will remember him by, that he was someone who, if you got a meeting with him, and were able to talk to him, it was always very interesting. He asked a lot of questions.”
When he was 10 years old, Moncrief saw his father strike oil at a well he opened in East Texas. He would go on to further his education at UT Austin, where he graduated with a bachelor of science in petroleum engineering in 1942 before enlisting in the military.
Soon after serving as a naval officer, Moncrief was back in to Texas help grow the family’s oil and gas business, building an empire by acquiring prospects across the country.
“We lost an icon in the energy space, there’s no question about that. You have to put him up there with Sid Richardson and Amon Carter, in my view,” King said. “He should clearly be classified with that type of leadership.”
Forbes magazine named Moncrief to its billionaires list in 2006 and listed his net worth as $1 billion in 2014, writing that the biggest find of his career came four years earlier with the discovery of the deep-water gas reserves off the coast of Louisiana that became known as the “Davy Jones” field.
Aside from Moncrief’s achievements in business, where he was known as a pioneer and “wildcat” in Texas’ and Fort Worth’s oil industry, Kelly Jr. and King both highlighted the 101-year-old’s philanthropy work, including millions of dollars in donations to a new Fort Worth medical center at UT Southwestern and TCU and UT’s football programs.
“Tex Moncrief had a profound impact on Fort Worth. He made a positive difference in everything he became involved in, especially education, health care and business,” TCU’s Chancellor Victor Boschini Jr. said. “Tex was generous, yet incredibly humble. His legacy will live on through his family and the impact his philanthropy will continue to have on future generations.”
“W.A. ‘Tex’ Moncrief was passionate in wanting to serve the health care needs of Fort Worth and communities throughout North Texas. There was never an individual more decisive in pursuing his passion,” said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, president of UT Southwestern Medical Center. “His vision and remarkable generosity — always in honor of his admired father — has enabled UT Southwestern to serve legions of those in need.”
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Podolsky added that Moncrief not only was passionate about creating an environment with medical expertise, “but also lifted the spirits of those in need of help.”
“Tex Moncrief leaves an indelible imprint on North Texas through his generosity of spirit,” Podolsky said.
Moncrief was the president of the William A. and Elizabeth B. Moncrief Foundation, a nonprofit which helped educational, health, civic and cultural organizations at universities and schools around Texas. In 2001, he was honored into the Texas Philanthropy Hall of Fame.
“He was incredibly generous, not only in Fort Worth, but around the world,” State Rep. Charlie Geren said. “The Moncrief name is all over Fort Worth. You can look at the UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Center, buildings at the Stock Show; he was just a very, very generous man. Fort Worth will miss him.”
Moncrief’s death comes nearly a year after the death of his son C.B. “Charlie” Moncrief, who passed away in January at the age of 71.
“He was a bigger-than-life character, with a unique personality that was really impactful for Fort Worth,” Kelly Jr. said. “There’s another generation now, and I’m confident that they’ll take up the torch. The [Moncrief] family has always been leaders in a lot of different ways. I don’t think that’ll change. They’re committed to the city.”
Tex Moncrief would have been 102 in March.
Greenwood Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
This report includes information from the Associated Press and the Star-Telegram’s archives.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 4:58 PM.
