Jack Wrather, (John Devereaux Wrather, Jr.) was born on May 24, 1918, in Amarillo, Texas, the son of Mazie (Cogdell) and John Devereaux Wrather, Sr.
Wrather grew up in Tyler, Texas and graduated from Tyler High School in 1935 He went to the University of Texas and graduated cum laude with a BA in 1939. He was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church.
On July 31, 1941, he married MOllie O'Daniel. The marriage produced two children before the Wrathers divorced in the mid-forthies. On February 5, 1947, Wrather married movie actress Bonita Granville and had two more children.
As a young man, Wrather worked in the oilfields of East Texas. From 1942 to 1947 he served in the USMC Reserves. He then inherited his father's oil company, Overton Refining Company, and expanded its holdings.
Wrather's interests took him to Hoolywood. He produced his first movie,
The Guilty, in 1946, and by 1955 he had produced six more. Beginning in the 1950s he produced
Lassie for 17 years on CBS. Wrather also produced the
Lone Ranger for television from 1954 to 1957, and produced two Lone Ranger films. He diversified his business dealings even more with the purchases of radio station and television stations from coast to coast.
Wrather owned the MUZAK corporation in 1957, which at that time owned one of the world's largest recording plants and library. Wrather developed the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California, as well as lodges and hotels in Las Vegas and Palm Springs.
Wrather restored the Queen Mary and saved the Spruce Goose from intended demolition in 1981 as a favor to his friend Howard Hughes. Wrather became a trusted friend of Ronald Reagan. He was one of the first people to encourage Reagan to run for public office in California. He served as a member of Reagan's "Kitchen Cabinet."
Wrather created a multi-million-dollar fortune in oil, movies, television, radio, and hotel resorts and was considered one of the distinguished entrepreneurs of his day. He died of cancer in California on November 12, 1984.
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Jack Wrather, (John Devereaux Wrather, Jr.) was born on May 24, 1918, in Amarillo, Texas, the son of Mazie (Cogdell) and John Devereaux Wrather, Sr.
Wrather grew up in Tyler, Texas and graduated from Tyler High School in 1935 He went to the University of Texas and graduated cum laude with a BA in 1939. He was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church.
On July 31, 1941, he married MOllie O'Daniel. The marriage produced two children before the Wrathers divorced in the mid-forthies. On February 5, 1947, Wrather married movie actress Bonita Granville and had two more children.
As a young man, Wrather worked in the oilfields of East Texas. From 1942 to 1947 he served in the USMC Reserves. He then inherited his father's oil company, Overton Refining Company, and expanded its holdings.
Wrather's interests took him to Hoolywood. He produced his first movie,
The Guilty, in 1946, and by 1955 he had produced six more. Beginning in the 1950s he produced
Lassie for 17 years on CBS. Wrather also produced the
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