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Beyond the Hills: The Journey of Waite Phillips
Book by Wallis, Michael
Paperback
First published March 1, 2006
5 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Michael Wallis
46 books77 followersMichael Wallis is the bestselling author of Route 66, Billy the Kid, Pretty Boy, and David Crockett. He hosts the PBS series American Roads. He voiced The Sheriff in the animated Pixar feature Cars. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 4, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyable. The book was given to me by some boys in our scout troop who I took to Philmont for a trek. It adds a deeper dimension to the experience.
October 1, 2020
An inspiring book about my friend's great grandfather!
August 11, 2022
I found this book in a local Little Free Library. Having lived in Oklahoma, I knew about the Phillips brothers who owned Phillips Petroleum (Phillips 66 brand) but had not heard of their younger brother Waite. Having read a couple of oil related books recently, I picked it up. This is a straightforward biography in the style of those I read as a kid, the sort that leaves you knowing about a person rather than knowing them.
Waite Phillips and his identical twin Wiate were born in Iowa in 1883. Wiate was the 6th and Waite the 7th of 10 children. The twins were adventurous and left home at 16 to make their way in the world. They worked their way through the west through the Pacific NW and Canada before Wiate died of a ruptured appendix in Spokane in 1902. Waite brought his brother home and became more serious about things. He went to business school for 6 months and then followed his older brothers in the coal and oil business. The brothers, Frank and LE, started an oil company that ended up as Phillips Petroleum.
Waite moved to Bartlesville, OK, buying land and oil leases along the way. He got married and had a couple of children. He was always restless and through hard work, skill, and luck - not necessarily i in that order - his constant buying and selling of oil companies and leases gave him wealth beyond imagination. He was socially prominent in Tulsa, building mansions and office towers, until he tired of it and moved to LA, where he continued to hobnob with the rich and famous. He also acquired a large ranch in NM.
His daughter was a socialite, with 2 unhappy marriages. He hoped his son would follow him into business, but he instead fell in love with ranching. After more family drama, they made peace with that. Phillips died 1964. His various mansions have become museums in Tulsa and he gave most of the ranch to the Boy Scouts where it became the Philmont Scout Ranch. It is used as a "National High Adventure Base" to this day.
Although he was restless, Waite was a solid, conservative man. He wrote quite a bit in journals, but mostly about what literally was happening. Only rarely did he write about any feelings he had about his experiences. He carried around a book of sayings and had these 17 rules for conducting business: 1: Carefully examine every detail of your business.
2: Be prompt in everything.
3: Take time to consider, then decide quickly.
4: Bear your troubles patiently.
5: Maintain your integrity as a sacred thing.
6: Never tell business lies.
7: Make no useless acquaintances.
8: Never try to appear something more than you are.
9: Pay your debts promptly.
10: Learn how to risk your money at the right time.
11: Shun strong liquor.
12: Employ your time well.
13: Do not reckon upon chance.
14: Be courteous to everybody.
15: Never be discouraged.
16: Practice orderliness, thoroughness, concentration and patience.
17: Then work hard and you will succeed.
It was interesting to read about his life. He went through great tragedy and great good fortune, a simple man living through an amazing period in history. Without really meaning to, I thought the book shed light on the people of OK.
The book was purchased at the Philmont Ranch. I think it's pretty cool that it ended up in a Little Free Library in Silver Spring, MD.
Waite Phillips and his identical twin Wiate were born in Iowa in 1883. Wiate was the 6th and Waite the 7th of 10 children. The twins were adventurous and left home at 16 to make their way in the world. They worked their way through the west through the Pacific NW and Canada before Wiate died of a ruptured appendix in Spokane in 1902. Waite brought his brother home and became more serious about things. He went to business school for 6 months and then followed his older brothers in the coal and oil business. The brothers, Frank and LE, started an oil company that ended up as Phillips Petroleum.
Waite moved to Bartlesville, OK, buying land and oil leases along the way. He got married and had a couple of children. He was always restless and through hard work, skill, and luck - not necessarily i in that order - his constant buying and selling of oil companies and leases gave him wealth beyond imagination. He was socially prominent in Tulsa, building mansions and office towers, until he tired of it and moved to LA, where he continued to hobnob with the rich and famous. He also acquired a large ranch in NM.
His daughter was a socialite, with 2 unhappy marriages. He hoped his son would follow him into business, but he instead fell in love with ranching. After more family drama, they made peace with that. Phillips died 1964. His various mansions have become museums in Tulsa and he gave most of the ranch to the Boy Scouts where it became the Philmont Scout Ranch. It is used as a "National High Adventure Base" to this day.
Although he was restless, Waite was a solid, conservative man. He wrote quite a bit in journals, but mostly about what literally was happening. Only rarely did he write about any feelings he had about his experiences. He carried around a book of sayings and had these 17 rules for conducting business: 1: Carefully examine every detail of your business.
2: Be prompt in everything.
3: Take time to consider, then decide quickly.
4: Bear your troubles patiently.
5: Maintain your integrity as a sacred thing.
6: Never tell business lies.
7: Make no useless acquaintances.
8: Never try to appear something more than you are.
9: Pay your debts promptly.
10: Learn how to risk your money at the right time.
11: Shun strong liquor.
12: Employ your time well.
13: Do not reckon upon chance.
14: Be courteous to everybody.
15: Never be discouraged.
16: Practice orderliness, thoroughness, concentration and patience.
17: Then work hard and you will succeed.
It was interesting to read about his life. He went through great tragedy and great good fortune, a simple man living through an amazing period in history. Without really meaning to, I thought the book shed light on the people of OK.
The book was purchased at the Philmont Ranch. I think it's pretty cool that it ended up in a Little Free Library in Silver Spring, MD.
June 2, 2024
great book about an astounding man I would have never known if not for this book.
I little heavy on statistics, but the story of his life was fascinating.
I was shocked at times about the tuns of events but all in all he led the most charmed life. He also worked and thought about work 24/7 so it wasn't all luck.
March 25, 2008
An interesting biography on one of the greatest philanthropists in the U.S. Waite Phillips created his fortune in the oil industry and went on to find success in real estate and banking as well. He donated a massive ranch to the Boy Scouts called Philmont Ranch, as well as the endowments to support and keep Philmont running. I purchased this book after visiting Philmont and being extremely impressed with the magnificent beauty of New Mexico, and the lovely grounds Waite Phillips created then donated. I enjoyed reading about his life and the generous philosophies he lived by.
January 3, 2013
Not very many people know who Waite Phillips is. I was introduced to this great man while working at Philmont as it was his incredible generosity that led to the creation of "Scouting Mecca". One of his most quoted epigrams is "The things we permanently keep are those we give away." He was blessed with great wealth, and it was with that wealth that he constantly looked for ways to make the best use of it. His philanthropy knew no limits. If more men/women in the world were like Waite Phillips, it would be an amazing place to live.
August 14, 2014
Nicely written. After going to Philmont, I wanted to learn more about Waite Phillips. Amazing life and wonderful life philosophies, but every life story has its sad parts.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews