San Francisco County
Biographies
RALPH GWIN FOLLIS
Ralph Gwin Follis, chairman of he board of Standard Oil Company of California, was born in San Francisco, California, February 1, 1902. The son of James Henry and Mary Bell (Gwin).
Student at Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, from 1916 to 1918. Graduated from Princeton University in 1924 with the B.S. degree.
Mr. Folls became associated with the Standard Oil Company of California at San Francisco in 1924, beginning as an engineering helper, crude still operator, 1925 to 1926, specialist with the research department, 1926 to 1927, refinery superintendent, 1928 to 1932, cracking plants manager, 1933 to 1936, manufacturing department manager, 1937 to 1942; director since 1942, vice president from 1942-1945, and became president in October 1945, vice chairman of the board in 1948, and has been chairman of the board since 1950. He is also chairman of the board of the Trans-Arabian Pipe Line Company and vice chairman of the Arabian American Oil Company, as well as director of Pacific Public Service Company, Crocker First National Bank of San Francisco, and the Stanford Research Institute. Vice chairman of National Petroleum Council; Council of United States Associates; International Chamber of Commerce, The Conference Board, and American Petroleum Institute (director).
Mr. Follis is a member of the California Club (Los Angeles), Burlingame Country Club (Burlingame, California), Pacific Union Club (San Francisco, Links Club (New York), and Arlington Club (Portland, Oregon).
He married Opal Ann Young on June 1, 1929, and they have two children, Mary Bell and James Gwin. The family residence is at 3690 Washington Street, San Francisco 18, California.
Office: 225 Bush Street, San Francisco 20, California.
Transcribed by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: Eminent
Californians 1953, by Lee E. Johnson & C. W. Taylor. Page 388, C. W. Taylor
Publ., Palo Alto, California, 1953.
© 2014 Joyce Rugeroni.
San Francisco County Biographies