| Name |
Edgar Gardner TOBIN |
| Birth |
7 Sep 1896 |
San Antonio, Bexar Co., TX, USA  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Event-Misc |
After 1896 |
Texas, USA |
Edgar graduated from West Texas Military Academy(San Antonio Military Academy) in 1914.
During World War I Edgar became an Army pilot. He was a member of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker's "Hat in the Ring" air squardon. He was the first pilot from Texas to attain the title of "Ace". He downed five enemy planes and an observation ballon. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the American and French decoration for Valor, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. By age 22 he attained the rank of Major.
After the war Edgar returned to San Antonio, Texas where he was a Pierce-Arrow car dealer.
In 1928 Edgar was approached by Gilard Kargl to go into business of areial photography. Kargl had contracts with oil companies but, no plane. Edgar was an agent for the American Eagle, a commerical aircraft. Edgar being a shrewed businessman realized the potential of the opportunity being offered him and agreed to lease an aircraft for a percentage of the contract. Thus Edgar Tobin Aerial Surveys was born. Tobin went on to build the company into one of the most successful mapping companies in the world today.
Edgar Tobin Aerial Surveys emerged at a time when the oil industry was rapidly growing in Texas. Developing oil fields needed new maps for use in the exploration, production, and transportation of the oil. Landmen needed to know who owned the surface land; in order to obtain right of way and who owned the mineral rights. The mapping established by Tobin made it impossible for any tract of land to be omitted, all the land had to be accounted for.
From 1933-1971 over a million parcels of land were mapped from Flordia to New Mexico.
During World War II his company mapped the entire United States for the federal government, and he served as special civilian advisor to General Henry H. Arnold, United States Army Air Force.
In January 1954 Edgar along with 12 other prominent Texas and Louisanna businessmen were returning from a duck hunting expedition when their plane crashed and caught fire. All on board perished.
Then Texas Governor Allan Shivers said of Edgar Tobin: "He pioneered in the Southwest and in the nation in the field of aerial surveys. His company contributed much to the success of the Armed Forces of the United States in World War II through mapping of invasion routes."
Control of the company was then passed to Edgar's wife and son.
Today the company is known as Tobin International Ltd. |
| Death |
10 Jan 1954 |
Shreveport, Caddo parish, LA USA |
| Burial |
After 10 Jan 1954 |
Sunset Memorial Park, San Antonio, Bexar Co., Texas, United States |
| Person ID |
I01522 |
Gedcom081 |
| Last Modified |
12 Sep 2013 |
English
1896 - 1954 (57 years) 
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