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Santa Rita

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Santa Rita Well No. 1

Why Santa Rita?

Mr. Frank Pickrell was one of the partners responsible for the drilling of the Santa Rita No. 1 . The reason for the name "Santa Rita" is best told in Frank Pickrell's own words:

"The name of Santa Rita really originated in New York.  Some of the stock salesmen had encouraged a group of Catholic women to invest in the Group I certificates.  These women became a little worried about the wisdom of their investment and consulted with their priest.  He apparently was also somewhat skeptical and suggested that the women invoke the aid of Santa Rita, who was the patron saint of the impossible.  As I was leaving New York on one of my subsequent trips to the field, two of these women handed me a sealed envelope and told me that the envelope contained a red rose that had been blessed by the priest in the name of the saint.  The women asked me to take the rose back to Texas with me -- to climb to the top of the derrick and scatter the rose petals, which by then were dry, over the rig and to say 'I hereby christen thee Santa Rita'.  I faithfully followed those instructions."

 



Santa Rita No. 1 - History

  • From 1917 - 1919 more than 5000 oil and gas exploration permits were issued by the General Land Office for University Lands.

  • No exploration was attempted until 1921.

  • On August 23, 1921 (just four hours prior to the expiration of the applicable permit) the historic Santa Rita No. 1 was spudded in Section 2, Block 2, University Lands, Reagan County.

  • Drilling continued for almost two years at the drill site, which was isolated by a shortage of adequate roads and limited transportation facilities.  It has been said that the only sounds came from the rig, roadrunners, and rattlesnakes.

  • Finally the historic day arrived on May 28, 1923, when a rattlesnake noise began at the well bore and changed to the sound of a wild prairie wind.  Santa Rita came in with oil blowing over the top of the derrick and spraying the countryside. The first well drilled on University Lands, Santa Rita No. 1, was officially transformed into a bona fide oil well.

  • The first oil royalty payment to the Permanent University Fund was made on August 24, 1923 in the amount of $516.53. 

 



The Santa Rita Award

The Santa Rita Award is the highest award that is bestowed by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System. Santa Rita, the discovery oil well whose resources transformed The University of Texas, was named after the patron saint of the impossible. The recipients of the Santa Rita Award have in their own way overcome the impossible as they furthered the transformation of The University of Texas as a University of the First Class.

The Santa Rita Award, presented on an occasional rather than a regular basis, recognizes:

  • a demonstrated concern for the principles of higher education generally,
  • a deep commitment to the furtherance of the purposes and objectives of The University of Texas System,
  • a record of commitment to securing appropriate financial support for the System from both the public and private sectors, and
  • a demonstrated record of participation in the affairs of the System which serves as a high example of selfless and public-spirited service.

Miss Ima Hogg received the first Santa Rita Award in 1968. The Award consists of a bronze medallion. The award was conceived and initially financed by Dr. H. F. Connally, Jr., as a major Systemwide award. Dr. Connally, of Waco, was responsible for having the medallion designed and he paid for the first medallions. Additionally, he was instrumental in assuring that the first copies of the book, Santa Rita--The Highest Award, were published.



Recipients of Santa Rita Award:

No.
Date announced at
Board Meeting
Date of
Santa Rita event
Name of Recipient
1
 
06/08/1968
Miss Ima Hogg
2
05/02/1969
05/31/1969
Hines H. Baker
3
05/02/1969
06/02/1969
Eugene McDermott
4
03/06/1970
05/27/1971
Harry H. Ransom
5
06/14/1974
05/18/1974
Cecil H. Green
6
06/14/1974
06/08/1974
John W. McCullough
7
07/25/1975
12/11/1975
John H. Freeman
8
07/09/1976
09/30/1976
Mary Moody Northen
9
07/29/1977
12/15/1977
John Erik Jonsson
10
06/14/1985
10/23/1985
Lt. Governor William P. Hobby, Jr.
11
08/15/1986
12/10/1986
Peter O'Donnell
12
12/08/1988
02/01/1989
Larry E. Temple
13
08/08/1991
10/10/1991
Jess Hay
14
08/12/1993
02/09/1994
Jack S. Blanton
15
08/08/1996
10/24/1996
Lt. Governor Bob Bullock
16
08/10/2000
10/10/2000
Peter T. Flawn
17
08/08/2002
10/09/2002
Wales H. Madden, Jr.
18
07/16/2004
10/11/2004
Margaret McDermott
19
11/16/2006
02/28/2007
Frank Denius
20
02/07/2008
04/14/2008
Bernard Rapoport
21
11/13/2008
02/11/2009
The Honorable Dolph Briscoe, Jr.
22
08/19/2009
02/04/2010
The Honorable William P. Clements, Jr.
22
08/19/2009
02/04/2010
Rita Crocker Clements
23
11/11/2010
02/17/2011
James R. Huffines 
24
05/14/2015
02/10/2016
The Sealy & Smith Foundation
25
07/11/2018
08/09/2018
Mr. Joe R. Long
25
07/11/2018
08/09/2018
Dr. Teresa Lozano Long
26
11/15/2018
12/12/2018
Mr. Mike A. Myers
27 06/24/2021  
Kenneth M. Jastrow, II 
27 06/24/2021  
Susan Thomas Jastrow