Once there was a fellow named Frank Phillips that ran Phillips 66. He thought aircraft would someday be a big deal and everyone else thought he was nuts.

About 20 miles away from Frank was a company called Barnsdall Chemical and Refining that also did a lot of work on aircraft fuels and everyone though they were nuts, too.

Frank backed an aircraft in the Dole race from LA to Honolulu in 1927 and won. The aircraft is still on display at Frank's ranch near Bartlesville, OK.

When WW II broke out neither company looked so dumb anymore as everyone had to buy into their Patents on avgas. Phillips used the money to do more research and the US Patent office finally opened a branch in Bartlesville just to deal with Phillips patents.

Barnsdall stopped researching and when their patents expired they went into decline and I think totally out of business.

Anyway... Phillips is currently looking for Chemical types with a Phd. to work at their research lab in Bartlesville. If you know anyone that wants to do basic research and maybe come up with $1.50 gallon fuel themselves... Phillips (now Conoco-Phillips) is hiring!