Businessman, philanthropist Roff dies
Philanthropist, businessman and native Oklahoman J. Hugh Roff Jr. died in Houston on Wednesday. He was 88.
Roff was chairman of Roff Resources LLC at the time of his death, and had served as a member of the board of trustees for the Inasmuch Foundation and the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, both in Oklahoma City.
“Hugh was so dear to me, the brother I never had,” said William J.
Ross, Chairman Emeritus of Inasmuch Foundation. “We met in college and had countless shared memories over 70 years including family vacations, working together in corporate boardrooms and, later in life, working together on the board of Edith Kinney Gaylord's foundation.
“Born and raised in rural Oklahoma, Hugh worked his way to the very top of the U.S. corporate world, was a true gentleman, (and) a loyal friend with a brilliant mind and warm, gentle spirit,” Ross said.
Roff was born Oct. 27, 1931, in Wewoka. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1954, and then from the OU Law School the following year.
Roff moved to Oklahoma City, after a few years of military service, to clerk for Judge Alfred P. Murrah of the U. S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. At the end of the clerkship, he joined Southwestern Bell as an attorney in its St. Louis office, before being promoted in 1964 to the New York office of AT&T.
In 1969, he became vice president and general attorney of AT&T Long Lines Department, and in 1973 Roff was named general attorney for AT&T.
The next year, he moved his family to Houston where from 1974 to 1985 he worked as president, chairman of the board and CEO of United Energy Resources Inc. and its principal subsidiary, United Gas Pipeline Co. United Energy Resources sold to MidCon Corp. for $1.1 billion in 1985.
In 1999, Hugh formed
Roff Oil & Gas Ltd., an oil and gas exploration and production company, with his sons.
Roff's philanthropic endeavors included serving as chairman of the Salvation Army of Greater Houston Advisory Board, a member of the Board of Trustees of Baylor College of Medicine. He sat on the boards of visitors of The Salvation Army USA Southern Territory, the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration at Rice University and the University of Oklahoma Law School and College of Arts & Sciences. He also served as past president, chairman and member of the board of directors of the Houston Symphony.
“Hugh left an incredible legacy and impact on the foundation, providing invaluable leadership and support,” said Robert J. Ross, chairman and CEO of Inasmuch Foundation. “Hugh was the type of servant-leader who provided clarity during times when the path was anything but clear. He will forever be missed by our entire team and we know his spirit will always remain part of the fabric and culture of Inasmuch Foundation.”