Bill Noël

William Douglas Noël (May 11, 1914 – January 9, 1987), was an American independent oilman, industrialist, banker, rancher, philanthropist, and civic leader in Odessa, Texas.

In 1936, he moved to the Permian Basin of West Texas to work as a chemist in the Gulf Oil Wickett refinery.

His extensive endeavors in all phases of oil production soon transformed the Odessa economy into a major petrochemical complex.

Noël was so consumed with pursuits of the business that he claimed to have been unaware that he had become a millionaire until several years after the accumulation of his early fortune.

[3] In 1946, Noël and Earl Rodman also formed a partnership with the purchase of a refinery, which they named the Odessa Natural Gasoline Company.

That same year he was elected to the Hall of Fame of the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Odessa's sister city of Midland.

[3][5] Noël worked to establish the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, which opened in Odessa with barely a thousand students in 1973.

Noël wanted to assist the children of his employees attending UTPB and to boost enrollment on the then fledgling campus.

In an interview, Noël acknowledged that his opportunity to attend college had been essential to his own success: 'I've always felt like that was something that needed to be repaid.

In 1993, Mrs. Noël contributed $1 million to establish the UTPB "Support for Excellence Fund," which is invested in the university's long-term account.

She was active in the Midland/Odessa Symphony & Chorale, the Permian Playhouse, the White-Pool House Museum, and the Parker Ranch House, Mrs. Noël also contributed funds for the Ellen and Bill Noël Therapy Center at High Sky Children's Ranch in Midland.

[6] Though the large Noël home had been intended for use as the president's residence, rising maintenance costs prompted the university to place the house on the market in June 2009 at an asking price of $2.1 million.

When sold, proceeds were to be diverted to the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center, according to UTPB president David Watts.