Bill Liedtke

William C. Liedtke Jr. ( ; September 27, 1924 — March 1, 1991) was an American petroleum executive, best known as the co-founder of Pennzoil with his older brother J. Hugh Liedtke.

Early life Liedtke was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma where his father was an attorney for the Gulf Oil Corporation. During World War II, he and his brother, Hugh, served in the South Pacific as junior officers in the United States Navy. In 1950s, the Liedtke's, Bush, and Overbey formed the Zapata Petroleum Corporation. Previously known as Pennzoil Offshore Gas Operators at its IPO in 1970, Pogo was an exploration and production subsidiary of Pennzoil set up to look for natural gas in the Gulf of Mexico. In September 1972, columnist Jack Anderson obtained a report compiled by the House Banking Committee indicating that Liedtke admitted to investigators that he had raised $100,000 in Mexico for Nixon's campaign fund.

Liedtke later served on the Board of Trustees for Amherst College. He also served as finance chair for Victory 88 Oklahoma, an organization which supported the Bush-Quayle campaign of 1988.

His son, William C. Liedtke III was nominated by President Bush in May 1992 for a seat on the five-member Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.