Malcolm Crim

Mayoral leadership Facing uncontrollable conditions, Kilgore incorporated as a city in 1931. Crim was overwhelmingly elected first mayor by a 102-0 vote, later stating he accepted the position to prevent the city from being "overrun with the wrong kind of people." His administration navigated Kilgore's transformation into what newspapers called "the capital of the world's largest oil field," characterized by dense oil derricks surrounding downtown buildings.

He was 82 when he passed in Tyler, Texas, on June 5, 1971.

Legacy The Crim family homes remain preserved by the Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation, with the Lou Della Crim House restoration project ongoing as of 2025. The Lou Della Crim No. 1 well operated until 1961, symbolizing Kilgore's oil boom origins. Crim's leadership during the chaotic transition from agricultural community to oil boomtown cemented his family's legacy in Kilgore's development.