Is T. Boone Pickens Related To Daniel Boone?

Introducing T. Boone Pickens

T. Boone Pickens (born Thomas Boone Pickens Jr.) was an American business magnate and financier who made his fortune in the oil and gas industry. He was born in 1928 in Oklahoma and grew up in Texas. Pickens graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1951 with a degree in geology and began working for Phillips Petroleum. He later founded his own company, Mesa Petroleum, in 1956 and through acquisitions grew it into one of the largest independent oil companies in the U.S. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Boone_Pickens).

Pickens was known for executing aggressive takeover bids and corporate restructurings in the 1980s. Time magazine named him the “oracle of oil” because of his successful deals. He also made headlines promoting natural gas as an alternative to imported oil and advocating for US energy independence. Pickens chaired the hedge fund BP Capital Management from 1996 until his death in 2019 at age 91. He gave over $1 billion to charity, with much of it going to his alma mater OSU (https://www.britannica.com/biography/T-Boone-Pickens).

Pickens earned various accolades over his long career, including being inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and receiving the Global Leadership Award from the World Petroleum Council. Known for his business acumen and bold risk-taking, Pickens left a lasting impact on the energy industry and corporate finance.

Daniel Boone’s Legacy

Daniel Boone was one of America’s most famous frontiersmen and explorers. Born in 1734 in Pennsylvania, Boone explored and helped settle much of Kentucky and the trans-Appalachian west. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Boone blazed the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky, paving the way for America’s westward expansion. He fought alongside the colonial militia during the Revolutionary War, defending frontier settlements from British-allied Native Americans. After the war, Boone resumed his explorations, trekking into Missouri and even into Spanish-held Texas before his death in 1820.

As a frontier legend, Daniel Boone became an iconic figure in American folklore and literature. His adventures opened new territory to American settlement and his larger-than-life persona became synonymous with the pioneer spirit. He was memorialized in works by writers like Lord Byron and was a famous name across America and Europe. His legacy as a trailblazing frontiersman and folk hero has endured over the centuries since his death.

The Pickens Family History

The Pickens family has its origins in Scotland and Ireland. According to The Pickens Family, three brothers – Andrew, John and Robert Pickens – lived in the British Isles in the late 17th century. Robert Pickens was born in Limerick, Ireland in 1697. It’s believed the three brothers emigrated to America in the early 18th century, settling in Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Carolinas.

One of the earliest notable members was Andrew Pickens (1739-1817), an American Revolutionary War hero who served as a militia leader in South Carolina. He played a key role in notable battles like Kettle Creek and Cowpens. After the war, he served in the South Carolina General Assembly and later the U.S. House of Representatives. The town of Pickensville, South Carolina is named after him.

Thomas Boone Pickens Jr. (better known as T. Boone Pickens) was a famous American businessman and philanthropist, born in 1928 in Oklahoma. He founded an oil and gas company called Mesa Petroleum and led multiple corporate takeover attempts in the 1980s. In 1997, Pickens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms notes he was ranked as one of the richest men in America.

Boone Family History

The Boone family originated from Devonshire, England and first appeared in colonial America in the early 18th century when Squire Boone Sr. immigrated with his wife Sarah Morgan. They settled in Pennsylvania and had a large family of 11 children including Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman and explorer. Daniel Boone was born in 1734 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He had many siblings including Israel Boone, Samuel Boone, Jonathan Boone, Sarah Boone, Elizabeth Boone, and Mary Boone.

Daniel Boone married Rebecca Bryan and they had 10 children: James, Israel, Susannah, Jemima, Levina, Rebecca, Daniel Morgan, Nathan, William, and Jesse. Daniel Boone blazed trails through the Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky, paving the way for western expansion. He fought in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Many of his male relatives joined him on expeditions westward. His nephews Israel Boone and Samuel Boone were killed by Native Americans in Kentucky.

The Boone family spread out across America over subsequent generations but many descendants can still trace their lineage back to the original pioneer Daniel Boone. They were a sprawling frontier family that contributed greatly to the exploration and settlement of the early United States (https://www.booneassociation.com/genealogy.html).

Relationship Between the Families

There are some interesting connections between the Pickens and Boone families, which have led some people to speculate that there may be a family relationship between T. Boone Pickens and the famous pioneer Daniel Boone. However, based on available historical records, there does not appear to be any direct familial link between the two.

According to genealogical records, T. Boone Pickens was born Thomas Boone Pickens III in Holdenville, Oklahoma in 1928. His family had lived in the region for several generations. Meanwhile, Daniel Boone was born in 1734 in Pennsylvania and later explored and settled parts of Kentucky and Missouri. He passed away in 1820.

While both men share the middle name “Boone”, they lived almost a century apart. Daniel Boone did have descendants who later migrated to parts of Texas and Oklahoma where the Pickens family lived. However, genealogists have not found any direct lineage between the two pioneering American families.

Speculation About a Connection

There has been some speculation and rumors over the years that T. Boone Pickens was related to the famous American frontiersman Daniel Boone. This is largely due to the fact that Pickens’ father was named Thomas Boone Pickens, which seemed to imply a family connection to Daniel Boone.

Some theories suggest that T. Boone Pickens may have been a distant descendant of Daniel Boone, possibly through a branch of the Boone family tree that moved to Oklahoma where Pickens was born. However, these rumors have remained unproven.

There’s no definitive evidence that T. Boone Pickens and Daniel Boone were directly related. The similar sounding names likely fueled assumptions about a family connection. But genealogical research has not revealed any direct familial ties between the two.

While they may have shared a common ancestor long ago, there are no records confirming T. Boone Pickens was closely related to the frontiersman Daniel Boone. The rumors seem to stem from coincidental name similarities rather than documented genealogy.

Lack of Evidence

After extensive research, no definitive proof has been found linking T. Boone Pickens to the famous frontiersman Daniel Boone. Though some sources mention Pickens being a distant relative of Boone, these claims appear unsubstantiated.

No genealogical records or family trees have been uncovered tracing Pickens’ lineage back to Boone. While Pickens’ father was named Thomas Boone Pickens, likely in reference to Daniel Boone, this alone does not confirm a direct family connection. The Pickens family origins can be traced back to England and Scotland in the 17th and 18th centuries, but no direct ancestral link to the Boones has been documented.

The Boone family itself has been well researched by genealogists and historians, with extensive records detailing Boone’s parents, siblings, wife and children. Nowhere in these records does the Pickens family appear. Unless new primary source documents emerge, there is simply no evidence that T. Boone Pickens was genetically related to Daniel Boone.

While some speculation about a distant relation persists, based on the available facts it appears highly unlikely the two famous figures were actually kin. The similarity in their names seems more a coincidence than an indicator of shared heritage.

Difference in Time Periods

Though some speculate T. Boone Pickens may have descended from Daniel Boone, they lived in completely different eras. Daniel Boone was an American pioneer and frontier explorer who blazed a trail through the Cumberland Gap to reach Kentucky in the late 18th century. As described by Encyclopedia Britannica, “Boone was one of the most adventurous of the westward-moving settlers”. He was a legendary figure in U.S. history for his exploration and settlement of what was then the western frontier.

In contrast, T. Boone Pickens was an American businessman and financier who was born in 1928 and passed away in 2019 at age 91. As The New York Times reports, “Pickens started out as a wildcatter in the tradition of Texas oilmen”. He made his name as a corporate raider and dealmaker starting in the 1980s. So while both were pioneers in their own way, Daniel Boone and T. Boone Pickens lived two centuries apart.

Why This Question Persists

There are several reasons why speculation continues about a relationship between T. Boone Pickens and the famous frontiersman Daniel Boone:

Pickens’ middle name of Boone fuels ongoing curiosity. As Boone is an unusual middle name, people naturally wonder if he was named after the historical figure Daniel Boone. However, Pickens went by his middle name from a young age, so it was likely just a family name rather than an intentional reference to the frontiersman.

Some sources mention a distant ancestral relation between the Pickens family and Daniel Boone back in England, before the Boones immigrated to America. However, clear documentation validating this connection has not been found.

The time gap between Daniel Boone (born 1734) and T. Boone Pickens (born 1928) makes a close familial tie highly unlikely. Daniel Boone gained fame in the late 1700s, while Pickens was born nearly 150 years later.

Nonetheless, the combination of Pickens’ middle name and vague mentions of old English ancestry keep this notion alive. Ultimately, while a distant relation many generations back is possible, there is no direct evidence that T. Boone Pickens descended from Daniel Boone’s lineage.

Conclusion

In summary, there is no definitive evidence that oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens is related to frontier explorer Daniel Boone. While both were prominent American figures, they lived in different eras and came from distinct families.

The Boone family rose to prominence in the 1700-1800s during America’s westward expansion and Daniel Boone became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky. The Pickens family established itself later, in the 20th century, through the oil business and T. Boone Pickens’ corporate acquisitions.

Some speculate about a possible relationship between the families because of the shared “Boone” middle name. However, genealogical records do not indicate the families are connected. The two men lived centuries apart and descended from different ancestral lines. While a distant relationship cannot be conclusively ruled out, there is no direct evidence or documentation of any relation between T. Boone Pickens and Daniel Boone.