John S. Wold

John Schiller Wold (August 31, 1916 – February 19, 2017) was an American business executive, philanthropist, World War II veteran, and Republican politician from Wyoming. He served a single term in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1971. He was the first professional geologist to have served in Congress.

Early life John Wold was born on August 31, 1916, in East Orange, New Jersey. His father Peter Irving Wold was the chairman of the department of physics at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Wold graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York in 1938 and Cornell University in 1939 with degrees in geology. During World War II, he served as a consulting physicist and gunnery officer for the U.S. Navy. Wold founded Wold Oil Properties, Inc. in 1950 in Casper, Wyoming.

Early political career He entered politics in 1956, winning a seat to the Wyoming House of Representatives. He served one term from 1957 to 1959 and was the state's Republican chairman from 1960 to 1964. In 1964, he ran for the U.S. Senate against freshman incumbent Democrat Gale McGee, who won by a 54% to 46% margin.

Congress In 1968, he narrowly defeated on-again, off-again Congressman William Henry Harrison in the Republican primary before winning a decisive general election victory. Two years later, he gave up his House seat to run against incumbent Sen. Gale McGee again.He lost the race by 56% to 44% and returned to the private sector, but remained active as a Republican political donor.

Philanthropy In 2002, Wold made a $20 million donation to his alma mater, Union College. The donation was at the time the biggest single contribution in the university's history. The American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming named Wold as the "Wyoming Citizen of the Century" in the minerals, gas, and oil category in 1999. He also contributed $2 million to Cornell University.

Wold and his eponymous foundation contributed $7.5 million to the Oregon Health & Science University's Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon. The donation was dedicated to a new center with the mission of fighting the onset of adult blindness brought on by macular degeneration, a disease from which Wold had suffered for the last 20 years of his life.

Death and legacy John Wold died on February 19, 2017, in Casper at the age of 100. Wold Oil Company is now operated by his son, Peter. Another son, Jack, is chief executive officer of an energy company in Denver, Colorado.