Mary Hudson (businesswoman)

Mary Hudson Vandergrift was an American oil business tycoon.[1] At the height of her success, she was one of only three women on Forbes' list of 400 richest Americans.[2] She was the founder and owner of Hudson Oil Company which operated an oil refinery plus 300 gas stations in 35 states. The business later collapsed due to court judgments against her company for allegations of overcharging customers and for underpaying its employees.[3][4][5]

For other people named Mary Hudson, see Mary Hudson (disambiguation).

Career

Her business started in 1933 after her husband, Wayne Driver, was killed in a crash. At age 21, she borrowed $200 from her father which then used to open her first Hudson Oil Co. station in Kansas City.[6]

Throughout the years, she built a chain of oil stations known for its for low prices and no-frills service. These stations were among the first in the country to feature self-service. In early 1980s, the business turned sour when the US oil industry crashed.[7]

She died of cancer in September 1999 at home in Prairie Village, Kansas.[8]

References
  1. Prochnau, Bill (1983-08-11). "Oil Chief Fined in Pump Rigging". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  2. "Mary Hudson". The Pendergast Years. 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  3. Star, Kansas City. "MARY HUDSON, 86, INDUSTRIAL EMPIRE BUILDER". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  4. Roberts, Rob. "Founder's death signals fall of local Hudson oil empire". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  5. "Mary Hudson". The Pendergast Years. 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  6. Tracy, Brian. "Money, business - Be a Negative Optimist". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  7. Cuff, Daniel F. (1984-01-06). "BUSINESS PEOPLE; PROBLEMS ARE PILING UP FOR HUDSON OIL'S CHIEF". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  8. "Obituaries". Los Angeles Times. 1999-09-05. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
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