William Tavoulareas
William Peter Tavoulareas (November 9, 1919 – January 13, 1996), President of Mobil Corporation, 1969–1984. He was appointed to the position by retiring Mobil Chairman, Albert Nickerson.
Biography
Tavoulareas was the recipient the AHEPA Award, the prestigious awards to recognize members of the community for their contributions and achievements in their chosen field of endeavor.
He was also: on the Boards of Aramco, Bankers Trust, Philip Morris, St. John's University, Georgetown University, Athens College, St. Francis Hospital, a Governor of New York Hospital, a Knight of Malta and served on the Boards of numerous charities both nationally and internationally.
The son of a Greek immigrant butcher and an Italian mother...Brooklyn born "Tav" as he was known, was the architect of Mobil's Middle East expansion. Fast spoken with a pronounced New York accent, he was a unique success in a field dominated by Texas born engineers and "Blue blood" Ivy League graduates.
A 1983 Business Week cover had Tavoulareas up to his waist in a map of Saudi Arabia. He was famously asked by Saudi Oil Minister Zaki Yamami "if he was sinking into the sand or rising from it; the King wants to know"
In the Seven Sisters written by Anthony Sampson, Tavoulareas was acknowledged by his peers as being the most capable oil man of his generation.
In 1982 Tavoulareas was unsuccessful in bringing $2 million libel suit against the Washington Post for saying he used his corporate position to "set up his son" in a shipping business. The initial jury's award was put aside by the judge hearing the case because he said Tavoulareas had not proven "actual malice". The Court of Appeals confirmed the ruling, finding the story substantially true and holding that "the record abounds with uncontradicted evidence of nepotism in favor of Peter [Tavoulareas' son]" [TAVOULAREAS v. PIRO 817 F.2d 762 (D.C. Cir. 1987)]
He is buried in Roslyn Cemetery, Greenvale NY