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I thought I would put this here since this is where most of the history buffs hang out.
Name your Top 10.
Here are my top 10 historical personages in descending order. I do not call them ‘heroes’, though some obviously are. Three of the ten provide models that I use in my actual life. The other seven provide lifestyle principles. I choose my historical figures based on the actual and real-world impact they can have on me. To get on my list the person may be fictional or real. If real, the person must be deceased, may not have been a relative or ancestor, and may not have been a head of state.
Name your top ten also.
1. Edward L. Doheny - Discovered oil in Los Angeles while digging a ditch in Westlake Park. He was down to his last 30 cents or so, and struck oil at a depth of about 25 feet. The son of Irish immigrants and a land surveyor by trade, Doheny, more than anyone else, brought in the California oil boom, circa 1900. He was also responsible for the Mexican oil boom, only to later have his holdings nationalized by the Mexican government. He was one of the greatest Roman Catholic philanthropists to have ever lived, and his foundation and descendants still provide major donations to the Roman Catholic Church. His legacy in Los Angeles remains formidable (for those who know about Los Angeles history). I found out about Doheny when I was 9 yrs old while selling newspapers (The Herald Examiner) on the corner of Jefferson & Figueroa in South Central Los Angeles. One of his old mansions (referred to as the Stimson mansion), a very intriguing red brick structure which served as a convent, is located near this intersection (his other mansion is about a block away). After knocking on the door one evening after selling papers, I asked the nuns living there questions about the mansion, so they invited me in and told me the story of Doheny, which served as my introduction to his most interesting life. Doheny represents to me a life dedicated to obtaining excellence against the odds, fearlessness against risks, while always remaining faithful to his cultural heritage and cause. History has maligned Doheny’s life with a small historical footnote known as the Teapot Dome scandal.
2. George W. Whistler - Probably the greatest railroad engineer of all time, and I would have to say the best engineer in any category to ever to come out of West Point (1819). Not as famous as his second wife Whistler’s Mother, but probably better looking. Whistler was a crackerjack engineer that peddled his services around the world. Many of his works stand to this day, such as several railroad bridges, and his track designs. Whistler was an engineer at the jobsite. He was a formidable trainer and leader, and his style contradicts much of the ethos of today’s highly educated, effete snob engineer that is reluctant to get out in the field or out on the factory floor. Whistler died on the job while building a railroad from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Not a bad way to go, eh? Doing what you like to do, and doing it well. I think about his story often when I am in remote work camps located in developing countries around the world.
3. Russell Volckmann - Refused the surrender order in the Philippines when a young US Army captain. He remained and disappeared into the jungle after MacArthur fled on a fast boat to Australia. Volckmann raised a large guerilla force where his own men promoted him in rank (to the fury of MacArthur). Volckmann maintained radio/message contact with Allied forces and facilitated MacArthur’s grandiose return. Upon meeting MacArthur at the beach, Volckmann probably asked him, “so where the **** you been, eh?” Volckmann represents to me the ultimate commitment to completing the mission, and killing the bad guys, no matter what the risks to oneself, but without the stupidity, and without the thoughts of thinking one is so grand that he is needed for a later time and place in history. Volckmann obviously paid attention to the lecture on Thermopylae at West Point (1934), I’m not sure that Mac did. Volckmann should be studied at West Point; he is not.
4. Simon Templar - The Saint. A fictional character that best fits with my personal concepts of self-sovereignty. Templar knows the difference between right and wrong without the fog or taint of political correctness or “The Law”. He earns his money as a self-employed individual and does not hide behind the concept of teamwork or the other such falsities of collectivism that hide many a coward, scoundrel, and careerist. The Saint is not a mere civil servant who allows himself to be berated by his superiors like his more famous counterpart, 007. This is simply because he has no superiors, and is self-sovereign in his work, his wealth, his character, and whatever self-directed work/mission he chooses to do. I learned about The Saint by reading the pulp fiction novels by Leslie Charteris (a Eurasian from Singapore) that were penned beginning circa 1930. Many of us saw the TV series with Roger Moore when we were children. The TV series follows the novels in many respects. Both Whistler and Templar serve as modified templates for my business model.
5. Otto Frank – Anne Frank’s father. I learned about Otto a few years ago on a visit to the Frank house in Amsterdam and he immediately jumped on my list. The real story about Anne is really about Otto, Anne being but one chapter in a modern biblical book of Job. Otto was born on the wrong side of fate. He was a loyal German citizen and fought in the trenches as a German officer against France in WW1. His family went broke in financing that war effort. He did not marry the love his life, she forsaking him for another. His country betrayed him in his homeland, and then came after him when he fled to the Netherlands. All was taken from him, including his family that perished in the Holocaust. After the war he was a wandering, aimless refugee, finally settling in Switzerland where he proceeded to build a quiet life for himself while waiting for his end. Destiny allowed him to live and ponder his fate. Otto Frank represents to me the very strong will to persevere in the face of overwhelming personal tragedy and the tests put to us by fate.
6. Howard Hughes – I learned about Hughes about the same time I learned about Doheny. Los Angeles used to be the aviation capital of the world, so Hughes’ influence was always around, not just because of his aviation activities, but also because of his movie productions, and because of his oilfield services business. Hughes represents to me the drive to be productive. He serves as a rare example that even those who are born rich can be more productive than their predecessors, and be even more successful. History has maligned and sensationalized his biography, not taking into account that his eccentricities developed only after a near fatal aviation accident that left the majority of his body scarred due to burns. Nevertheless, Hughes continued to be productive in the face of the physical pain that continues on with burn survivors.
7. Porfirio Rubirosa – Rubi. Famous diplomat from the Dominican Republic. Most who have lived within the international circles of Latin American will have heard of Rubi. I’m not sure when, as a child, I learned about him, probably on a trips to Latin America. I heard more about him years later when I went to the Dominican Republic on a 2-week military exchange program to the Dominican Republic. Rubi is best known as the world's greatest womanizer for marrying the likes of poor little rich girls like Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton. Also famous for giving Zsa Zsa Gabor a much deserved black-eye. He died like all playboys should; wrapped his Ferrari around a tree on a Parisian boulevard in an eerily similar fashion as his best friend and fellow playboy Aly Khan. Rubi represents to me unwavering loyalty (to Rafael Trujillo), though his loyalty to Trujillo was considered unwise by many. Nevertheless, loyalty is loyalty. Rubi also provided intelligence to the Allies during WW2 as a resident of Vichy France; however he was later transported to Baden-Baden to live with other diplomats being confined by the Third Reich. After a skillful exit/escape from Baden-Baden and an illegal return to France, he was wounded by Nazi collaborators, in flight of the Allies’ advance, with a shot in the buttocks. Rubi was also investigated by the FBI for the assassination of a Trujillo “dissident” in NYC, similar to the hit put on Orlando Letelier decades later by DINA (Chile) in Washington, DC. I would simply classify both hits as good counter-insurgency work done on foreign soil. He was rumored to be a jewel thief as well. The Hitchcock movie To Catch a Thief starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly was supposedly inspired by Rubi’s exploits in Europe.
8. Edmond Dantes – The fictional character also known as The Count of Monte Cristo. A lesson for me in this story is that life is too short NOT to hold a grudge. It’s called accountability for transgressions and trespasses without the niceties like civil lawsuits, undeserved forgiveness and “healing” a la Vermont criminal justice. Revenge is best served cold and there is a place for it. Unlike Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights), Edmond doesn’t go completely over to the dark side after his adversary is vanquished. A second lesson for me in this story is that not only do we wish to succeed as individuals, but many of us wish for our friends and colleagues to fail while we succeed. This helps us look more invincible, so it is thought. Hence we often betray our friends and colleagues, and gloat in their misfortune, as did Dantes’ friend-turned-enemy.
9. Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sanchez – also known as Manolete. I learned about him as a teen while off-and-on living in Latin America. Manolete was the greatest bullfighter the world has ever known. A no-nonsense style in his personal life and in the ring, with the artistic precision in the ring of a Michelangelo. Death brushes by all of us with each pass of the bull, but no one escapes the final brush. He died as a bullfighter would prefer, with the final victory going to the bull. Represents to me the dedication to a dangerous craft while ignoring the hype of celebrity and press releases. Like Whistler he died doing what he liked doing best.
10. Ellis Wyatt – Fictional character from Atlas Shrugged. Wyatt develops a new process for the efficient extraction of oil. While this process is not the same as mine, his fictional process served as the genesis for the niche specialty I now practice around the world.
Cheers,
M8
Name your Top 10.
Here are my top 10 historical personages in descending order. I do not call them ‘heroes’, though some obviously are. Three of the ten provide models that I use in my actual life. The other seven provide lifestyle principles. I choose my historical figures based on the actual and real-world impact they can have on me. To get on my list the person may be fictional or real. If real, the person must be deceased, may not have been a relative or ancestor, and may not have been a head of state.
Name your top ten also.
1. Edward L. Doheny - Discovered oil in Los Angeles while digging a ditch in Westlake Park. He was down to his last 30 cents or so, and struck oil at a depth of about 25 feet. The son of Irish immigrants and a land surveyor by trade, Doheny, more than anyone else, brought in the California oil boom, circa 1900. He was also responsible for the Mexican oil boom, only to later have his holdings nationalized by the Mexican government. He was one of the greatest Roman Catholic philanthropists to have ever lived, and his foundation and descendants still provide major donations to the Roman Catholic Church. His legacy in Los Angeles remains formidable (for those who know about Los Angeles history). I found out about Doheny when I was 9 yrs old while selling newspapers (The Herald Examiner) on the corner of Jefferson & Figueroa in South Central Los Angeles. One of his old mansions (referred to as the Stimson mansion), a very intriguing red brick structure which served as a convent, is located near this intersection (his other mansion is about a block away). After knocking on the door one evening after selling papers, I asked the nuns living there questions about the mansion, so they invited me in and told me the story of Doheny, which served as my introduction to his most interesting life. Doheny represents to me a life dedicated to obtaining excellence against the odds, fearlessness against risks, while always remaining faithful to his cultural heritage and cause. History has maligned Doheny’s life with a small historical footnote known as the Teapot Dome scandal.
2. George W. Whistler - Probably the greatest railroad engineer of all time, and I would have to say the best engineer in any category to ever to come out of West Point (1819). Not as famous as his second wife Whistler’s Mother, but probably better looking. Whistler was a crackerjack engineer that peddled his services around the world. Many of his works stand to this day, such as several railroad bridges, and his track designs. Whistler was an engineer at the jobsite. He was a formidable trainer and leader, and his style contradicts much of the ethos of today’s highly educated, effete snob engineer that is reluctant to get out in the field or out on the factory floor. Whistler died on the job while building a railroad from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Not a bad way to go, eh? Doing what you like to do, and doing it well. I think about his story often when I am in remote work camps located in developing countries around the world.
3. Russell Volckmann - Refused the surrender order in the Philippines when a young US Army captain. He remained and disappeared into the jungle after MacArthur fled on a fast boat to Australia. Volckmann raised a large guerilla force where his own men promoted him in rank (to the fury of MacArthur). Volckmann maintained radio/message contact with Allied forces and facilitated MacArthur’s grandiose return. Upon meeting MacArthur at the beach, Volckmann probably asked him, “so where the **** you been, eh?” Volckmann represents to me the ultimate commitment to completing the mission, and killing the bad guys, no matter what the risks to oneself, but without the stupidity, and without the thoughts of thinking one is so grand that he is needed for a later time and place in history. Volckmann obviously paid attention to the lecture on Thermopylae at West Point (1934), I’m not sure that Mac did. Volckmann should be studied at West Point; he is not.
4. Simon Templar - The Saint. A fictional character that best fits with my personal concepts of self-sovereignty. Templar knows the difference between right and wrong without the fog or taint of political correctness or “The Law”. He earns his money as a self-employed individual and does not hide behind the concept of teamwork or the other such falsities of collectivism that hide many a coward, scoundrel, and careerist. The Saint is not a mere civil servant who allows himself to be berated by his superiors like his more famous counterpart, 007. This is simply because he has no superiors, and is self-sovereign in his work, his wealth, his character, and whatever self-directed work/mission he chooses to do. I learned about The Saint by reading the pulp fiction novels by Leslie Charteris (a Eurasian from Singapore) that were penned beginning circa 1930. Many of us saw the TV series with Roger Moore when we were children. The TV series follows the novels in many respects. Both Whistler and Templar serve as modified templates for my business model.
5. Otto Frank – Anne Frank’s father. I learned about Otto a few years ago on a visit to the Frank house in Amsterdam and he immediately jumped on my list. The real story about Anne is really about Otto, Anne being but one chapter in a modern biblical book of Job. Otto was born on the wrong side of fate. He was a loyal German citizen and fought in the trenches as a German officer against France in WW1. His family went broke in financing that war effort. He did not marry the love his life, she forsaking him for another. His country betrayed him in his homeland, and then came after him when he fled to the Netherlands. All was taken from him, including his family that perished in the Holocaust. After the war he was a wandering, aimless refugee, finally settling in Switzerland where he proceeded to build a quiet life for himself while waiting for his end. Destiny allowed him to live and ponder his fate. Otto Frank represents to me the very strong will to persevere in the face of overwhelming personal tragedy and the tests put to us by fate.
6. Howard Hughes – I learned about Hughes about the same time I learned about Doheny. Los Angeles used to be the aviation capital of the world, so Hughes’ influence was always around, not just because of his aviation activities, but also because of his movie productions, and because of his oilfield services business. Hughes represents to me the drive to be productive. He serves as a rare example that even those who are born rich can be more productive than their predecessors, and be even more successful. History has maligned and sensationalized his biography, not taking into account that his eccentricities developed only after a near fatal aviation accident that left the majority of his body scarred due to burns. Nevertheless, Hughes continued to be productive in the face of the physical pain that continues on with burn survivors.
7. Porfirio Rubirosa – Rubi. Famous diplomat from the Dominican Republic. Most who have lived within the international circles of Latin American will have heard of Rubi. I’m not sure when, as a child, I learned about him, probably on a trips to Latin America. I heard more about him years later when I went to the Dominican Republic on a 2-week military exchange program to the Dominican Republic. Rubi is best known as the world's greatest womanizer for marrying the likes of poor little rich girls like Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton. Also famous for giving Zsa Zsa Gabor a much deserved black-eye. He died like all playboys should; wrapped his Ferrari around a tree on a Parisian boulevard in an eerily similar fashion as his best friend and fellow playboy Aly Khan. Rubi represents to me unwavering loyalty (to Rafael Trujillo), though his loyalty to Trujillo was considered unwise by many. Nevertheless, loyalty is loyalty. Rubi also provided intelligence to the Allies during WW2 as a resident of Vichy France; however he was later transported to Baden-Baden to live with other diplomats being confined by the Third Reich. After a skillful exit/escape from Baden-Baden and an illegal return to France, he was wounded by Nazi collaborators, in flight of the Allies’ advance, with a shot in the buttocks. Rubi was also investigated by the FBI for the assassination of a Trujillo “dissident” in NYC, similar to the hit put on Orlando Letelier decades later by DINA (Chile) in Washington, DC. I would simply classify both hits as good counter-insurgency work done on foreign soil. He was rumored to be a jewel thief as well. The Hitchcock movie To Catch a Thief starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly was supposedly inspired by Rubi’s exploits in Europe.
8. Edmond Dantes – The fictional character also known as The Count of Monte Cristo. A lesson for me in this story is that life is too short NOT to hold a grudge. It’s called accountability for transgressions and trespasses without the niceties like civil lawsuits, undeserved forgiveness and “healing” a la Vermont criminal justice. Revenge is best served cold and there is a place for it. Unlike Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights), Edmond doesn’t go completely over to the dark side after his adversary is vanquished. A second lesson for me in this story is that not only do we wish to succeed as individuals, but many of us wish for our friends and colleagues to fail while we succeed. This helps us look more invincible, so it is thought. Hence we often betray our friends and colleagues, and gloat in their misfortune, as did Dantes’ friend-turned-enemy.
9. Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sanchez – also known as Manolete. I learned about him as a teen while off-and-on living in Latin America. Manolete was the greatest bullfighter the world has ever known. A no-nonsense style in his personal life and in the ring, with the artistic precision in the ring of a Michelangelo. Death brushes by all of us with each pass of the bull, but no one escapes the final brush. He died as a bullfighter would prefer, with the final victory going to the bull. Represents to me the dedication to a dangerous craft while ignoring the hype of celebrity and press releases. Like Whistler he died doing what he liked doing best.
10. Ellis Wyatt – Fictional character from Atlas Shrugged. Wyatt develops a new process for the efficient extraction of oil. While this process is not the same as mine, his fictional process served as the genesis for the niche specialty I now practice around the world.
Cheers,
M8
