William Davis Houston was born in Houston, Texas in 1909, a great grandson of the famous Sam Houston. He was the son of privilege but not the ostentatious new money moving into Texas during his childhood. He had a largely carefree youth and by the time he was 18, he inherited a trust fund, some of which he promptly used for a college education. He attended Rice University from 1927 to 1930 studying business and accounting. Upon graduating, he was immediately hired by J.T. Hays as an accountant and general business manager. The young Bill Houston was broken into business rather quickly with the meteoric rise of Hays Oil that had occurred after Hays purchased the East Texas Oil Field from Hudson "Pop" Keller. By 1933, he received a sizable bonus from Hays which he reinvested into oil and increased his wealth manifold over the next couple of years.

Bill entered J.T. Hays' office. "Hello, J.T."

"Oh, Bill, glad to see you," Hays replied. "C'mon and sit down," he said, motioning to the chair across from his desk.

Bill started to sit as he placed a file on Hays' desk. "I have some invoices for you to sign."

"Thanks, Bill. I'll get to that in a few minutes." Hays put down his newspaper and sighed. "Can you believe that President of ours? He starts his umpteenth government program with this WPA nonsense. He's going to bankrupt this country. If he had just taken my recommendation for the flexible work schedule to increase employment, we wouldn't be in this fix."

"It's certainly worked for employment in this area," Bill humored him.

"I really need to quit reading the paper," Hays said.

"It does seem to only upset you these days," Bill replied.

"That it does," Hays said. "How are you? How's your family?"

"The family's just fine. I'm good," Bill replied.

"Not too long ago you told me you were making some investments. How are those going?" Hays asked.

"Quite good. I put some money into some manufacturers of oil drilling equipment and some other financial sectors. I couldn't have done it without that bonus you gave me," Bill replied.

"You deserved the bonus. You've been working yourself to the bone these first few years of our East Texas boom. I'm glad to hear your investments are working out for you. It's capitalism at its finest," Hays said with a smile.

"Thanks, J.T.," Bill replied.

"You're welcome. I'm just happy to know such a young man with his head planted squarely on his shoulders." Hays continued, "While we're on the topic, I have to talk to you about some financial changes of my own."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I'd like to create another company with some of the shares from J.T. Hays, Incorporated and divide those shares among my children."

"What did you have in mind?" Bill asked.

"I was thinking you could help me with the paperwork to create the subsidiary and draw up six different trusts from that subsidiary."

"Sure. You'll probably need a lawyer, though," Bill replied.

"Yes. I know. I'd like you to help me first and then I'll run it by a lawyer," Hays said.

"Of course I'll help, J.T."

"Great. I'd like to get started on it next week," Hays replied.

"Sounds good," Bill replied.

"In the meantime, I'll sign these invoices for you and get them back to you by the end of the day."

"Thanks," Bill replied.

Bill helped Hays form the subsidiary Serenity Oil Company and the shares were divided into trusts for Hays' six children. Bill was appreciative of the opportunities Hays had given him out of college and he had grown some significant private wealth from his early work with him, but it grew progressively more uncomfortable for Bill, a democrat, to work for Hays. His views on race were particularly distasteful to him, but he also felt significant un-ease at his employer's growing obsession about the evils of Communism.

In 1936, Bill separated from Hays and began to work for one of his competitors, Gil McIntyre, whose views on race were still distasteful to him, but he was a democrat. He had reconciled himself that he lived in the wrong time and place to encounter much enlightenment on racial issues. He worked largely in the same capacity with McIntyre as he did with Hays, but had more contact with some of the men in the oil fields, particularly the men in charge of operations. It was in 1939, that Bill met Wade Matlock on one of McIntyre's oil fields.

"Hello. Pleased to meet you. My name is Bill Houston," he said to the man with tousled hair and oil on his face.

"Wade Matlock. I'd shake your hand, but…," he said as he showed him his hands which were even oilier than his face. He continued to size up the diminutive, dark-haired Bill Houston, taking him in from head to toe. "You're a little over-dressed for an oil field, aren't you?" Wade asked looking at the "dandy" in the three-piece suit.

"You're probably right," Bill said looking down at his suit.

"What brings you here?" Wade asked.

"McIntyre has sent me around visiting various operations to see if anything is needed for more productive or efficient production."

"Oh, well... Let's go into my office and I'll make a list," Wade said, pulling out a cigar in his breast pocket and popping it into the corner of his mouth.

Bill followed Wade to his office, which was a simple shed with a door and a couple of windows. Inside was a desk with papers scattered over it. "How long have you worked for McIntyre?"

Wade lit his cigar with a match and looked up at the ceiling. "Let's see….I'd say about a year ago." He motioned to one of the two chairs in the small office. "Have a seat," he said, and opened his desk drawer and pulled out a steno pad and a pen.

"You're pretty young to be working in this job. Where did you work before?" Bill asked.

"I could say the same about you. You look like you're pretty young and pretty high up based on your suit," Wade replied as he sat down.

"I'm 30."

"Ah. You must have a baby face, then," Wade replied.

"How old are you?" Bill asked.

"I'm 23, and to answer your other question, I worked for J.T. Hays as a roustabout and a manager of operations of one of his East Texas oil fields," Wade replied.

"Oh? I worked for Hays Oil too," Bill said.

"I guess our paths never crossed back then," Wade said.

"They wouldn't have. I was confined to mostly office work," Bill said.

"How are you liking being in the field?"

"I get to travel some, and I like learning about how these operations work," Bill said. "How did you end up working for McIntyre?"

"After the New London Explosion, Hays gave me that manager position and McIntyre bought that oil field and I stayed on."

"Unbelievable tragedy. I left Hays about a year before that happened."

"Probably for the best. Families were out for hides," Wade said.

"Yes. I read all about that," Bill replied.

"How long have you been with McIntyre?" Wade asked.

"About three years."

"How are you liking it?" Wade asked.

"It's a lot better. It was difficult at times, working for Hays," Bill replied.

"I know what you mean. He had some strange notions," Wade said.

"It got tiresome hearing about the Communists all the time," Bill said.

Wade laughed. "Oh yes. They're everywhere, aren't they?" He laughed again.

Bill laughed with him. "The man is obsessed."

"Yeah. He would talk badly about FDR and it was all I could do but not set him straight," Wade replied.

"Yeah. I'm glad voting ballots are secret or else I know he'd have a conniption looking at mine," Bill said.

Wade laughed again. "Mine too." Wade continued, "My first job was with the CCC, thanks to FDR. I was able to send money home to support my family and gain on-the-job experience. I also made great friends and FDR has really turned this country around. I couldn't see what Hays' problem was with him, honestly. The proof is in the pudding, as they say."

Bill replied, "I know what you mean. He just believes in unfettered capitalism. I'm not sure that's what's best for society. People tend to work better and more morally within reasonable parameters and limitations. At least, that's what I've noticed in my experience."

"I agree. I'm glad McIntyre's a democrat. I also like that he's a brawler, like me. I'm grateful for Hays being my first employer, but McIntyre seems more down-to-earth than Hays."

"I know what you mean," Bill replied.

"Here's your list," Wade said as he ripped off a page from the steno pad and handed it to Bill across his desk.

"Thanks," Bill said. "Listen, what do you like to do when you're not working?"

"As little as possible," Wade quipped. He continued, "I like to play cards and fish. Why?"

"I think we have a lot to talk about and would get along," Bill said.

Wade puffed on his cigar and looked at Bill's suit again. "You don't wear a suit to fish, do you?"

Bill laughed, "No. Of course not."

"Glad to hear it," Wade said. "Sure, we could get together for some fishing sometime."

"Great."

"There's a creek not too far from here that has some good fishing. Why don't we meet here on Saturday at 6 am or so, and I'll take you out there?" Wade proposed.

"Sounds like a plan," Bill said, and extended his hand as he stood up. "Oh yeah," he said, looking at Wade's hands. "Nevermind. I'll see you here on Saturday."

Over the next year, Wade and Bill grew in friendship. They fished, hunted, and played cards together with some other friends. Even though Bill was wealthy, he had a variety of friends from all social and economic levels and was an amiable fellow who really enjoyed having a lot of friends. He said many times that he didn't think that money but friends were the measure of a man, and he lived that credo.

In 1940, Bill purchased some of McIntyre's smaller oil operations and started his own company which he named, Houston Oil, Inc. After he got all the incorporation paperwork finished, he asked Wade to work for him as a manager of operations from the central office and got him out of the fields.