Page 31 - ATR 2 2012 web 2

a huge benefactor, is front and center.
His personal manner is easy going and “Grover Norquist is against me.
casual.
And you find out quickly Pickens
has an uncanny ability to hold a person’s His biggest clients are the Saudis.”
attention. He can spin one story after
another, with a particular knack for
dates and names and times and places. weren’t right. But when my mom was This is all I have.’ And so I was delivered
Most business people have heard very close to delivery, Dr. Wallace took by Caesarean in 1928.
about Boone Pickens—legendary oil my dad [Tom Pickens] off in a room. “Now can you imagine me being
man, massive landowner, the corpo- “My dad recalled there was a big so lucky? That’s why I always tell people
rate takeover artist who changed Wall book on a table. The doctor said ‘Tom, that I am the luckiest guy in the world.”
Street—so nothing in this interview you may be faced with the toughest Pickens loved sports—particularly
could add much to what people already decision of your life—who survives. basketball. He was a star in high school
know about him in the business arena. Grace cannot deliver this baby’ and he and was invited on scholarship to play
So we asked him to focus instead just concluded ‘that’s all there is to it.’ guard at Texas A&M. “I got to play in
on two areas—first, some personal sto- “They continued to talk and my about half the games as a freshman and
ries about growing up, before he gained dad said ‘but you’re not that far from we beat Texas twice,” he smiled. “We
all his success in business, and second, that baby’ and Dr. Wallace said ‘well, had a really good basketball team.”
his mission to rid the United States of there is one way to try and do this and But Pickens didn’t get picked up for
its dependence on foreign oil. that is to do a Caesarean.’ his sophomore year. “In ’47 you didn’t
He accommodated both requests “Now, Dr. Wallace took my dad go to A&M on a four year scholarship.
and we turned on the recorder. “I am over to that big book on the table and It was renewed every year. And so I
an only child,” he began. “My parents said ‘I want you to read this and it’s wasn’t renewed. “
were married in 1923. And they were about a page and a half and two pic- So Pickens tried to make the
told they couldn’t have children. Well, tures and this is all I have to go on to team at the University of Texas and at
obviously, those people who told them try and do it. I’ve never seen one done. 

GEt somEonE

on your sidE

A Legal Defense Plan
Designed by and for Truckers.

Jim C. Klepper, Esq.
800-417-3552 ®

www.driverslegalplan.com

Drivers Legal Plan

ArkAnSAS trucking report | issue 2 2012 31