William Thomas Campbell secured his place among the pioneers of the modern oil industry in 1902, when he was named to the first board of directors of the Texas Company, a corporation later known the world over as Texaco. Born in Islington, England, Campbell immigrated to America at age 16 after his parents died. He trained as a printer in the newspaper trade and married Sarah Jane Turnbull in 1880 while working in Ohio. The couple soon moved to Texas and published newspapers, first in Sherman and then in Waxahachie. They moved to Lampasas and founded the Lampasas Leader in 1888. Campbell also served as an officer for the First National Bank of Lampasas and traded in grain and real estate. Following the Spindletop oil strike near Beaumont in January 1901, former Texas Governor James S. Hogg and colleague James W. Swayne joined the rush for "black gold" and enlisted additional partners to form the Hogg-Swayne syndicate. Campbell joined the partnership and acted as its agent and general manager. The syndicate merged with several other entities in 1902 to form the Texas Company, which eventually became Texaco, Inc. In 1904, the Campbells completed Argyll Heights, a grand estate overlooking the city of Lampasas. The property featured a large mansion (destroyed by fire in 1974), gardens and gatekeeper's cottage. Campbell died at age 47 and was buried in Lampasas' Oak Hill Cemetery. As a newspaper publisher, banker and early oil tycoon, William Thomas Campbell proved instrumental in the economic development of Texas and forged a legacy that would ultimately reach around the world.