The oil well known as Santa Rita No. 1 had a tremendous effect on both higher education in Texas, especially the University of Texas and Texas A&M University, and the region in which it was drilled, the Permian Basin. Santa Rita No. 1 became the spark for reinventing Texas, igniting an economic conflagration that transformed the Permian Basin into the nation’s most productive oil producing region, reshaped the local ranching population into an urban, petroleum-oriented culture, and created one of the largest endowments supporting higher education in the United States. In 2023, one hundred years after Santa Rita No. 1 began producing, its legacy is alive and well. In the Permian Basin, a dynamic oilfield culture continues to produce a significant part of the nation’s energy, while it supports higher education at the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, and the many schools associated with each through their respective systems.
