John P. Smoots papers, 1895-1977

John P. Smoots was a native of Wadsworth, Ohio, and a graduate of Ohio State University where he received a degree in chemical engineering in 1915. Following service with the E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in processing work at Wilmington, Delaware, and City Point, Virginia, he joined the staff of the United States Bureau of Mines and served as a member of its petroleum research staff during 1917 and 1918. During this war period he was assigned to cooperative fuel research work with General Motors Corporation at Dayton, Ohio. From 1919 to 1924 Smoots was a member of the geological staff of the Arkansas Natural Gas Company, working largely in Louisiana and Oklahoma. In 1924 he was placed in charge of production and geological work for the North Central Texas Oil Company in Louisiana and Arkansas, continuing in this capacity until 1927. Smoots joined the Standard Oil Company of Ohio (Sohio) at their No. 1 Refinery in 1928 as a chemical engineer, where he was in charge of the company's production activities. By 1937, Smoots had charge of evaluating oil properties in Kentucky and by 1942 he was technical assistant to the Sohio Vice President for supply, transportation, and production, a position he held until retiring in 1956. In 1964, Smoots moved out of retirement to “scout” a Central Ohio oil play for Sohio.