John O'Neil (1915-2004) was a painter, educator and writer best known for his Abstract Imagery and Early Modern (before 1950) styles.
O'Neil was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1915.He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma in 1936, and his Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Oklahoma in 1939.
He studied at the Colorado Springs Arts Center, with Boardman Robinson, Paul Burlin and Henry Varnum Poor; Taos School of Art, with Emil Bisttram and Studio Hinna in Rome, Italy from 1951-52.
He became a professor of painting at the University of Oklahoma in 1939 and was a contributing writer to Art Education magazine in the 1960s.
John O’Neil was the founder of the Art Department at Rice University.