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CHARLES FRANKLIN FOGARTY
1921 -1981
BY ALBERT P. GAGNEBIN
CHARLES F. FOGARTY, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
Officer of Texasgulf Inc., died in a crash of his company aircraft on
February 11, 1981, near White Plains, New York.
Dr. Charles F. Fogarty was truly an extraordinary man. He was
born in Denver, Colorado, on May 27, 1921, grew up and was
educated through high school in a Christian Brothers' orphanage,
the l. K. Mullen Home for Boys in Fort Logan, Colorado. He then
earned his way at the Colorado School of Mines with the help of a
Denver Post scholarship and received an Engineer of Mines degree in
1942. His accomplishments in industry were as spectacular and
impressive as his success in achieving an education. He was instru-
mental in transforming and expanding Texasgulf from a sulfur com-
pany into a broad-based mineral company in the space of a few
years.
After receiving his degree from the Colorado School of Mines in
1942, Dr. Fogarty entered military service as a Second Lieutenant in
the U.S. Corps of Engineers. He left the service as a Major in 1946
and took a position as Senior Geologist with the Sacony Vacuum Oil
Company of Columbia where he stayed until 1950. Then he
returned to the Colorado School of Mines to obtain a Doctor of
Science degree in geology. He began his career with Texasgulf in
1952 in exploration and geology and advanced steadily to positions
of increasing responsibility, becoming Director in 1962, President in
1968, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1973.
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MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
Dr. Fogarty had a deep interest in the earth, its formation and
structure, and an affinity for natural resources. When he joined
Texasgulf it produced one product sulfur. Under his leadership and
drive, exploration was expanded and, combined with his skill as a
geologist, led to dramatic results. Texasgulf was transformed into a
diversified natural resources company producing, in addition to sul-
fur, zinc, silver, phosphate, potash, copper, lead, cadmium, tin, iron
ore, coal, forest products, and gas and oil. Dr. Fogarty was the
driving force and the major instrument in achieving this expansion
in products. In addressing the Newcomen Society in New York in
1975 he explained, "Perhaps one of our greatest rewards is being
close to the earth and in direct contact with its variety, mystery,
power and beauty. " Perhaps the crowning achievement of the explo-
ration effort was the discovery of the ore body in Timmins, Ontario,
one of the most important mines in North America.
The objectives that shaped Texasgulf were articulated by Dr.
Fogarty early in his career. In 1959 an attractive merger proposal
being considered by the Board of Directors was viewed with dismay
by him and his associates. To persuade the board to reject this
proposal, Dr. Fogarty prepared a memorandum that stated in part:
Our ultimate objective is to become a diversified natural resource company with
sulphur contributing approximately 50 percent of the income and nonsulphur
minerals (oil, gas, base metals, potash, phosphate, etc.) the balance. We feel that
with our present cash generating ability, experienced and capable Board of
Directors and management experience, we can achieve this within a reasonable
time....
That these objectives were realized in the space of a few years
testifies to his exceptional personal qualities. He was able not only to
conceive of ambitious objectives, but to communicate his beliefs and
enthusiasm to his associates with such conviction that they had no
doubts of achieving what might have originally appeared to be
unreachable goals. Charles Fogarty was able to inspire people, to
stretch their capabilities, and to channel their work into a powerful
team effort. He had exceptional intensity of purpose, that rare qual-
ity essential for any great achievement.
Dr. Fogarty was a compassionate, kind, thoughtful, and deeply
religious man who loved his family and in a sense extended the
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CHARLES FRANKLIN FOGARTY
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warmth and understanding of a family relationship to all those asso-
ciated with him. His life was replete with examples of the help
rendered to many people. Under his leadership Texasgulf was one of
the first companies to abolish hourly wages and make every
employee salaried.
Besides being a corporate director of seven companies, he was a
director of a number of mining and geological institutes, and a
Trustee of the Colorado School of Mines. He received the Hal Wil-
liams Hardinge Award of the American Institute of Mining, Metal-
lurgical and Petroleum Engineers; the Distinguished Achievement
Medal of the Colorado School of Mines; and was elected to the
National Academy of Engineering in 1976.
Dr. Charles F. Fogarty's achievements both as a man and as a
scientist and industrialist stand as an inspiration and example to all
of us but especially to young people starting their careers. He left the
world a better place than he found it and takes his place with the
illustrious people who have individually contributed so much to the
benefit of society.
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franklin fogarty
