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Cattle Barons and Land Owners

Jay Taylor: The Oilman and Cattleman Called "Mr. Beef"

An Oklahoma-raised oilfield executive who became one of the most influential cattle voices in the Texas Panhandle.

Who was Jay Taylor, "Mr. Beef"?

Jay Littleton Taylor was born January 24, 1902, in Montague County, Texas. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum biography places the birth on the Suggs Ranch, while the LBJ Library record gives Bowie, so sources differ on the exact spot. His family later moved to the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma and homesteaded a stock farm.

The Ranching Heritage Association, which lists him as a Golden Spur recipient, calls him "Mr. Beef" and describes a lifetime as rancher, businessman and public servant whose career paralleled the development of the cattle industry.

From oilfields to Halliburton

As a teenager Taylor worked in the oilfields to pay for college. E.P. Halliburton hired him and paid for his studies at the University of Oklahoma. In 1926 he left school to work full time during the Panhandle oil boom and eventually became executive vice president and general manager of Halliburton's oil-well service company.

He also worked with the Baker and Taylor Drilling Company. In World War II he served in the Army as a petroleum specialist and earned the Legion of Merit.

How did Taylor become a Hereford breeder?

In 1927 Taylor married Imogene Herring, whose family introduced him to the cattle industry. He went on to establish the HH Ranch near Magdalena, New Mexico, and the Rafter O Ranch near Vega, Texas, where he raised registered Hereford cattle.

The Amarillo Livestock Auction

A Texas historical marker for the Amarillo Livestock Auction says the Western Stockyards began in 1904 and that in 1940 Jay Taylor and Eddie Johnson bought them and built the present sales ring. The company was incorporated as the Amarillo Livestock Auction Company in 1945.

The marker, erected in 1970, says annual sales exceeded 400,000 cattle valued at more than $78 million and that the firm handled more cattle than any other commission auction company in the United States. The museum says Taylor's business grew into the world's largest independent livestock sales firm, and describes him as a co-founder of the Amarillo Livestock Auction Company, while the marker says he and Johnson bought an existing business, so sources differ on that wording.

The marker also says the market opened in 1935 with a sale of 36 cattle and 21 horses, with Jack Coulter as auctioneer and Virgil Light as manager. Set against that small start, the 400,000-head figure shows how much volume the Panhandle sale ring came to handle.

Leading the national cattle industry

Taylor served as president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers' Association and of the American National Cattlemen's Association. The Ranching Heritage Association adds that he chaired the National Livestock and Meat Board, the group tied to his "Mr. Beef" nickname. The LBJ Library holds his recollections of hunting with Lyndon B. Johnson, per its biographical record.

The Key to Taylor's Success

Taylor's path combined oil money, a livestock marketplace and organizational leadership. The documents describe a man who profited from the business around the cattle as well as the cattle themselves.

  • He earned capital in oil service work before he ranched, with the Halliburton job paid for by a mentor.
  • He raised registered Herefords on two ranches in different states.
  • He bought into the marketplace, taking over the Western Stockyards in 1940 and building a new sales ring.
  • He formalized the business as Amarillo Livestock Auction Company in 1945.
  • He led trade groups at state and national level, which gave him a voice in beef promotion and policy.
  • The sources reviewed record no controversies or setbacks.

Honors and legacy

Taylor received the National Golden Spur Award in 1979 and was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1982, the year he died in Amarillo on May 13. Related stories appear on farm.FM's ranching section, and you can also read a farm.FM story about Hereford cattle.

Timeline

  1. 1902Born in Montague County, Texas
  2. 1926Leaves college to work full time in the Panhandle oil boom
  3. 1927Marries Imogene Herring and enters the cattle business through her family
  4. 1940Buys Western Stockyards in Amarillo with Eddie Johnson
  5. 1945Company incorporated as Amarillo Livestock Auction Company
  6. 1979Receives the National Golden Spur Award
  7. 1982Dies May 13 in Amarillo; inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jay Littleton Taylor?

Jay Littleton Taylor (1902 to 1982) was an Amarillo oilman, rancher and livestock auction owner who led national cattle associations and was nicknamed "Mr. Beef."

Why was Jay Taylor called Mr. Beef?

The Ranching Heritage Association says he was known as "Mr. Beef," tied to his work promoting beef, including as chairman of the National Livestock and Meat Board.

What ranches did Jay Taylor own?

He owned the HH Ranch near Magdalena, New Mexico, and the Rafter O Ranch near Vega, Texas, where he raised registered Hereford cattle.

What is the Amarillo Livestock Auction?

It is a livestock sales company that grew from Western Stockyards. Taylor and Eddie Johnson bought the stockyards in 1940, and the firm was incorporated in 1945.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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