Drilling decisions made by independent oil and gas producers.
Preserving personal stories is important. Oil & Gas Families complements the extensive work of community museum staff and volunteers finding new ways to preserve photographic, written, and oral histories of “oil patch” families.
Harry Baker of Richardson, Texas, seeks an appropriate archive, museum, or collector for preserving “an early and influential study of drilling‑risk decision‑making among independent operators.” His manuscript, Decisions Under Uncertainty: Drilling Decisions by Independent Oil and Gas Operators, is the original 1958 Harvard Doctor of Business Administration dissertation by Charles Jackson Grayson Jr.
According to Baker, the pre‑publication typescript version includes research that became a widely respected 1960 monograph examining how Mid-Continent independent oil and natural gas producers made their drilling decisions.
“Given the role of the American Oil & Gas Historical Society in connecting collectors, historians, and institutions with significant petroleum‑industry artifacts, I hoped to be contacted by a museum, archive, or a private collector,” he explains, adding that his goal is to preserve the technical manuscript at “an appropriate venue where this item might find a meaningful home.”
1958 Manuscript Details
- 406 pages, duplicated using the A.B. Dick Azograph Process (spirit duplicator), with the process watermark visible on multiple leaves.
- Numerous black lithographic decision‑tree diagrams bound in.
- Professionally bound in red buckram with gilt spine lettering. The condition is excellent.
- No library markings; appears to be a numbered distribution copy (circled “5” on title page).
- Provenance: acquired in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1977, directly aligning with the dissertation’s focus on independent Mid‑Continent operators.
“I would be glad to provide photographs or additional details,” Baker concludes. “Thank you very much for your time and for the work you do preserving the history of America’s oil and gas industry.” — Harry Baker.
Post any replies in the comments below or email hfbaker@gmail.com
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Recommended Reading: Decisions Under Uncertainty: Drilling Decisions by Independent Oil and Gas Operators (1960). Your Amazon purchase benefits the American Oil & Gas Historical Society. As an Amazon Associate, AOGHS earns a commission from qualifying purchases.
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The American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS) preserves U.S. petroleum history. Support this energy education website, subscribe to our monthly email newsletter, and help expand historical research. Contact bawells@aoghs.org. Copyright © 2026 Bruce A. Wells.
Citation Information – Article Title: “Decisions Under Uncertainty — 1958 Manuscript.” Authors: B.A. Wells and K.L. Wells. Website Name: American Oil & Gas Historical Society. URL: https://aoghs.org/oil-almanac/decisions-under-uncertainty-1958-manuscript. Last Updated: September 9, 2026. Original Published Date: September 9, 2026.