Vandale, John James, 1915-2007

Born to John Andrew Adam and Olive A. (Crislip) Vandale in Roane County, West Virginia, Evan Vandale (1882-1952) attended West Virginia University where he studied law. He then taught in rural schools before entering the oil and gas business in 1908, originally in his home state, then in Ohio and Oklahoma. In 1922, he moved to Texas, settling in Amarillo in 1925. In 1911, Vandale married Grace A. Burke, with whom he had one son before her death in 1920. In 1925, he married Vada Lee Davis. Vandale also maintained one of the largest and most important collections of rare books and documents related to Texas.

His son, John James Vandale (1915-2007), graduated from Washington and Lee University and was also active in the oil and gas industry before joining the Navy during World War II, where he commanded two ships and served in both the Pacific and European theaters. After the war, he participated in Operation Deepfreeze I, an Antarctic exploration mission headed by Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Vandale continued to serve in the Navy until his retirement in 1972 and returned to the oil and gas business.

Sources:

Carroll, Mary Joe. "Vandale, Earl." Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed August 19, 2011.

"All Obituaries - Text." Amarillo Globe-News. Accessed August 19, 2011.

From the guide to the Vandale, Earl, Papers 2011-201., 1908-1956, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)