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Glenn Cox Still Flying High at Age 92

Bartlesville, Oklahoma reveres its past. And its heroes. And Central Methodist University does the same.

The town and the college have one person in common. And they love him very much. His name is Glenn Cox, ’51.

Cox, 92 years young, is the former president of Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville. Much of his career was spent in Bartlesville leading the international oil giant and jetting around the world representing his company and the United States.

But he never forgot his humble beginnings in Sedalia or the Methodist minister, Homer Ulysses Campbell, who convinced him to be the first one in his family to go to college—at Central. He spent two years in Fayette studying on the Central Methodist campus, where he is also revered. Cox loves Central to this day, and it shows not only in his generosity, but also in his leadership. He spent several years as chairman of the board of trustees. Cox’s impact on the world and on Central has left such an impression that Central honored him on Homecoming weekend as one of the inaugural members of the Hall of Honor. Selection to this esteemed group is the highest recognition that can be bestowed upon an alumnus of Central.

“Central played such an important role in my life,” Cox said. “The imprint was substantial.”

So substantial that Cox not only remembered Central but joined the board of trustee and served as its chairman until 2014.

“There were so many important things going on in those days,” Cox recalled. “One was the new student center. Funding that building was going to require a lot of money and a lot of commitment. I’ll never forget [President] Marianne Inman taking an sledgehammer to the old building to get the project started.”

Another memory of Cox’s time on the board was the battle over Classic Hall. Some wanted it torn down; others wanted it restored, he said.

“It was in disrepair,” he said. “The only use for a while was the flock of pigeons living inside. I do remember taking a Saturday morning accounting class there.”

The project went on to be a resounding success, with the principal occupants being the music program.

“But I can still see Joe Geist and the friendly struggle to make sure the building provided space for the art gallery,” Cox said. “I think we’re all pleased with how things came out.”

Just like his time at Central, Cox has memories of his leadership time at Phillips Petroleum. And sometimes, the responsibilities of his work life and his Central life came at a personal cost.

“There was definitely some time away from the family,” he said.

To minimize his travel time to Fayette, Cox relied on his training as a military pilot and flew his own plane to Central board meetings.

“I’d fly into Boonville and get picked up for the board meetings,” he said. “It worked out pretty well unless the weather wasn’t cooperating.”

When Cox assumed his role as president of Phillips, he said the biggest challenge he faced globally was the rapid fall in oil prices. “I can remember $10 a barrel,” he said. “It’s not a number you want to live with for very long.”

But that struggle, he said, paled in significance to the challenges that occupied his time for a three-month period in 1984 and 1985. That was when he dealt with not one, but two hostile takeover attempts.

“Corporate America has frequently seen this,” he said. “T. Boone Pickens was the first, and after successfully repulsing that effort, it was Carl Icahn.”

But when he looks back over his career, he thinks of the positive accomplishments.

“We were successful in completing a number of projects,” he said. “Like polyurethane. It was using up our storage space everywhere, until the Hula Hoop was produced. That emptied out the warehouses pretty quick.”

There were dayto-day multi-million dollar decisions, like choosing how much to invest in exploration and production, supporting refineries, or looking at new chemical plants.

Cox always stressed focus on the goal and helped those who would stray to get them back on track. His priority was always compliance.

“Rulebooks are filled with requirements under which corporations must conduct their business,” he said. “I wanted to make certain we were in compliance with the rules. There were always those who were watching, ready to [criticize] your missteps.”

It is no surprise that his children remember his leadership style as a parent, and they chuckle now at a phrase they heard from him all too often – “Nose to the grindstone.”

That was his way, he said, of keeping them focused on the tasks at hand, like studying and getting into college. He says they’re all

very successful adults. And the kids say the nose to the grindstone phrase falls far short of capturing their father’s style. They say the leader of a corporate giant, who served as chairman of the board at Central, has an enormous heart filled with charity, service, and philanthropy. His gifts and volunteerism at Central are legendary, as they are in Bartlesville. Cox couldn’t have done it, he said, without his church and his wife of 67 years, Veronica “Ronnie” Cox, who passed away in 2020. “She did it all,” he said. “I’m so proud of what we did together. When I got the job as president, we had a talk with the kids It is no surprise that Cox's about how they might experience children remember his some criticism and hear some things leadership style as a parent, in Bartlesville. But Ronnie had all these and they chuckle now at guests at the house so often. We were a phrase they heard from constantly entertaining people from othhim all too often – “Nose er countries. It was her labor of love. to the grindstone.” That “There were definitely some was his way of keeping parts of my work she didn’t like,” them focused on the tasks Cox said. “Like all the transfers. One at hand, like studying and in particular troubled her – when getting into college. we moved from Tampa, Florida to Columbus, Ohio. She cried. It just got to her.” Yet in the long run, Ronnie and the kids took it in stride. Now the kids have entered a new part of Glenn’s life. “At age 92, there are a lot of things that used to be very easy for me to complete, and now they are more difficult,” he said. “So I really appreciate the support I have received from them. They’ve become my new helpers.” In a way, their nose is still to the grindstone—for their dad. Like always.

Glenn Cox

Honors – AwArds – BoArds

Boy Scouts National Executive Board

Recipient of Silver Beaver, Silver

Buffalo, Silver Antelope, and

Distinguished Eagle Scout

Oklahoma State Board of Regents for Higher Education

Director of Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation

Oklahoma Hall of Fame

Kresge Award winner from United Methodist Higher Education Foundation

Board of Trustees:

Central Methodist University

Southern Methodist University

Frank Phillips Foundation

Distinguished Alumni:

Central Methodist University

Southern Methodist University

Other Boards:

Bank of Oklahoma, American

Petroleum Institute, American

Management Association,

National Association of

Manufacturers; Philbrook

Museum of Art, Oklahoma

Mozart, Inc., and Arkansas/

Oklahoma Salvation Army