Kerr-McGee celebrates 75 years

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma City-based Kerr-McGee Corporation is celebrating a milestone. <br/><br/>The company that started out as a small drilling firm with two operational rigs has grown into one

Monday, October 4th 2004, 6:10 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma City-based Kerr-McGee Corporation is celebrating a milestone.

The company that started out as a small drilling firm with two operational rigs has grown into one of the country's largest independent energy producers. It turns 75 years old this month.

Robert -S- Kerr and brother-in-law James -L- Anderson started Anderson and Kerr Drilling Company in 1929, a precursor to Kerr-McGee. The company's oil production started two years later when a well was completed near Konawa.

The company changed names a few times before becoming Kerr-McGee. Dean -A- McGee came on board in 1937 as a geologist and eventually took over as executive vice president.

Kerr became Oklahoma's first native-born governor in 1942, serving one term before being elected to the U-S Senate in 1948. He held the post, as well as title of chairman of Kerr-McGee, until his death in 1963.