John Gavin Hurd (July 2, 1914 – September 6, 2001)[1] was an independent oil and gas producer and cattle rancher who was tapped by Richard Nixon to be the U.S. ambassador to South Africa (1970-1975) under President Nixon.
[1] During World War II, he served in the United States Navy as a surface warfare officer on destroyer escorts in the North Atlantic[1] and was awarded a Bronze Star.
[3] Prior to his naval service, Hurd practiced law in San Francisco with Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro and, subsequently, as an in-house attorney with Standard Oil of California.
It was a Laredo, Texas based independent oil and gas exploration and production company.
In 1982, he founded Hurd Enterprises, Ltd. in San Antonio, which was also an oil and gas exploration and production company.