William Warren Orcutt

William Warren Orcutt (February 14, 1869 – 1942) was a petroleum geologist who is considered a pioneer in the development of oil production in California, and the use of geology in the oil industry. He is also known for his contributions to paleontology, which brought the fossils of the La Brea Tar Pits to the attention of the scientific community.

Life and career Orcutt was born in Dodge County, Minnesota on February 14, 1869. His family moved west and settled in Ventura, California, when he was 12 years old. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in geology and engineering in 1895, he was employed as a civil and hydraulic engineer and as a United States Deputy Surveyor until 1899. That year he joined the Union Oil Company of California as superintendent of its San Joaquin Valley Division; he would stay with Union Oil, eventually becoming a Vice-President and a member of the board, until he retired in 1939. In 1901, when he was made manager of the geological, land, and engineering departments of the company, he moved to Los Angeles. In 1923 Orcutt wrote a paper tracing the history of oil production in California, which he presented to the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Orcutt served in the California National Guard from 1895 to 1897, was a Reserve Engineer during WWI, and during WWII served on the local draft board from 1940 until he died in 1942.

Legacy Because of his important role in developing the oil industry in the Western United States, in addition to Orcutt, California, the town of Orcutt, Colorado is named in his honor. Paleontologists named the prehistoric La Brea Coyote, Canis orcutti, in honor of his discoveries at the La Brea tar pits.

The 1920s residence, gardens, and orchards on the San Fernando Valley ranch he and his wife Mary used for vacations and their retirement estate was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, and bequeathed to the city of Los Angeles as the Orcutt Ranch Horticulture Center.