During early Francoism a mayor of Bilbao, he is known mostly for his business activity, especially for his role in the Spanish energy industry, TALGO train development and the banking sector.

José María Lucas Eusebio de Oriol y Urquijo was born to a distinguished family of Catalan origins, its first members noted in the history of Spain in the 17th century.

Having wedded Catalina de Urquijo y Vitórica, descendant to a liberal oligarchic family[7] controlling much of the Biscay finance,[8] he married into enormous wealth.

[16] Raised to be the future head of the family and especially key person to manage its huge and complex business, he entered the Madrid Escuela de Ingenieros Industriales.

[22] The couple had 7 children, José Luis (1930), María de Gracia (1931), Miguel (1933), Iñigo (1934),[23] Maria del dulce Nombre (1937) Carlos (1940),[24] and Begoña.

[25] José Luis, Iñigo and Carlos were active in family business and became recognized nationwide as entrepreneurs, while Miguel made his name as architect, author of Torre de Europa.

[36] As a party envoy a few times he met the imprisoned José Antonio Primo de Rivera, negotiating details of a would-be Carlist and Falangist insurgent alliance.

Together with his father, Oriol advocated acceptance of what looked like a unification ultimatum from Franco;[49] in the last-minute attempt to stage an internal coup within Carlism, he was proposed to be head of Sección Administrativa.

Re-admitted to semi-legal Traditionalist structures,[59] at the same time as provincial FET jefe he was busy laying the foundations of the Francoist regime, especially supervising personal policy,[60] mobilizing support[61] and ensuring compliance.

[62] Increasingly perplexed by syndicalist preponderance over Carlism in the new party, he demonstrated unease;[63] a single source claims that in early 1938 he resigned from Junta Política and together with other collaborative Carlists personally protested to Franco.

[69] He is recognized as effective at gaining official subsidies and credits,[70] having repaired most war damages[71] and commenced major new initiatives, like construction of new bridges across the Nervion and re-setting of the Gran Via.

[72] The most notable transport projects were the launch of the first municipal trolleybus network in Spain[73] and construction of the Sondica airport;[74] the former ended in failure, the latter turned into a lasting investment.

Starting 1940 he initiated public works intended to address unemployment problem, resulting from collapse of European coal market following the outbreak of the Second World War.

He excelled in organising venerating celebrations of Franco[78] and forged good working relationship with the Falangist civil governor of the province, Manuel Ganuza, himself a protégé of Serrano Suñer.

A number of times he spoke against separation of state and the Church, envisioned sort of reversal of mid-19th century desamortización, opposed parliamentary elections and despised syndicalism,[108] claiming that representation should be exercised by traditional social bodies.

[129] There is little doubt that Oriol's key business focus was on Hidroeléctrica Española; he entered its Consejo de Administración in 1928, its Comisión Ejecutiva in 1930 and became its president in 1941, the post held until 1985.

[137] Last years of his presidency were dedicated mostly to conflict related to Valdecaballeros, confronting governmental regulatory plans[138] and proceeding with interchange of assets among companies forming Unesa.

Anxious that the governmental project would reduce commercial companies to marginal role, he was the moving spirit and the first president of Unidad Eléctrica (Unesa),[143] an industry cartel set up in 1944 by 18 energy producers.

When the rotating Unesa presidency again passed to HE, in 1973-1977 Oriol served his second term as its head;[150] in the late 1970s and early 1980s he again stood to fight off governmental consolidation plans, this time advanced by democratic cabinets.

[151] As in mid-1940s TALGO transformed into the Oriol family business,[152] José María was heavily engaged in technical work related to construction of the rolling stock.

Since the company was incapable of addressing the problems domestically, production was developed in the United States, with Oriol spending months at American Car and Foundry in New York.

[155] His key projects were launching own rolling stock factories in Aravaca and Rivabellosa, constructing new generation bi-directional train Talgo III and negotiating co-operation details with Renfe.

[164] At this job he was involved in discussions on professional certificates, technical education, internal organization of the engineer corps and some specific questions related to national economy, like future of the nuclear energy in Spain.

Endurance, scope and complexity of Oriol-ran businesses, combined with his personal vision, energy and innovative knack, earned him place among the 100 most important Spanish entrepreneurs of the 20th century.