Alfred Glassell, Jr.

Alfred Curry Glassell Jr. (March 31, 1913 – October 29, 2008) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He made a fortune in the oil and gas industry in Louisiana and Texas and was a co-founder of Transcontinental Pipeline. He amassed a significant collection of gold artifacts and had a long association with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, also making significant contributions to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and in oceanographic research. As a sport fisherman he set a longstanding record for the largest black marlin caught by handheld rod, weighing , which is recognised by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) as the largest bony fish caught by hand.

Early life Glassell was born on March 31, 1913, at the Cuba Plantation near Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the son of Frances Elvira and Alfred C. Glassell. He attended C. E. Byrd High School in Shreveport and went on to attend Louisiana State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1934.

Glassell served with the United States Army during World War II, attaining the rank of major.

Business career Glassell followed his father into the oil and gas business, helping discover a number of new fields on the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Texas. He was a co-founder of the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation (Transco), which built the first gas transmission system between Texas and New York. He served on the boards of Transco, El Paso Natural Gas and First City Bank Corporation.

Philanthropy Glassell began collecting art in his thirties. In 1970 he was elected to the board of trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), becoming chairman in 1990. He worked closely with museum director Peter Marzio towards achieving "major museum status—greatly increasing attendance, membership, operating budget, endowment, and collections". He was one of the founders of the Cabo Blanco Fishing Club located at Cabo Blanco, Peru, which he described as "the mecca, the heaven, the Valhalla of all fishing". Glassell's feat attracted significant attention. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in March 1956 and footage of his catch was used in the 1958 film adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea.

Personal life Glassell's first wife was Jean Noemi Aubert; they divorced and she later married music executive Morris Levy. In 1962 he remarried to Clare Attwell; he had six children in total. He died in Houston on October 29, 2008, aged 95, and was interred at Glenwood Cemetery, Houston.