Sinclair, Harry Ford
Published: August 18, 2006, 5:05 pm
Updated: August 18, 2006, 5:05 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Peter Saundry
Harry Ford Sinclair (1876-1956), an American oilman who founded Sinclair Oil Corporation, which later merged into Atlantic Richfield Company. Sinclair was a prominent figure in the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s. In 1921, Albert Fall, the Secretary of the Interior, leased to Sinclair the Teapot Dome oil fields in Wyoming, and made a similar deal with Edward L. Doheny (Pan-American Petroleum and Transport Company). Shortly thereafter, rumors began to circulate that Fall had taken bribes as part of the lease deal. Senate hearings between 1923-1924 ultimately led to Fall’s resignation and a resolution stating that the leases "were executed under circumstances indicating fraud and corruption." In 1927, Sinclair was tried for conspiracy to defraud the United States. The trial ended abruptly when the government presented evidence that Sinclair had hired a detective agency to shadow the jury; the judge declared a mistrial. Sinclair was tried for criminal contempt of court and ultimately convicted and sentenced to six months in prison. Sinclair’s actions helped make the words “Teapot Dome” synonymous with scandal in the United States.
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Sinclair, Harry Ford". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 18, 2006; Last revised Date August 18, 2006; Retrieved June 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Sinclair,_Harry_Ford>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Harry Ford Sinclair (1876-1956), an American oilman who founded Sinclair Oil Corporation, which later merged into Atlantic Richfield Company. Sinclair was a prominent figure in the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s. In 1921, Albert Fall, the Secretary of the Interior, leased to Sinclair the Teapot Dome oil fields in Wyoming, and made a similar deal with Edward L. Doheny (Pan-American Petroleum and Transport Company). Shortly thereafter, rumors began to circulate that Fall had taken bribes as part of the lease deal. Senate hearings between 1923-1924 ultimately led to Fall’s resignation and a resolution stating that the leases "were executed under circumstances indicating fraud and corruption." In 1927, Sinclair was tried for conspiracy to defraud the United States. The trial ended abruptly when the government presented evidence that Sinclair had hired a detective agency to shadow the jury; the judge declared a mistrial. Sinclair was tried for criminal contempt of court and ultimately convicted and sentenced to six months in prison. Sinclair’s actions helped make the words “Teapot Dome” synonymous with scandal in the United States.
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