ONE OF HOUSTON'S most prominent and at times controversial businessmen will turn 100 next week. Oscar Wyatt, oilman and World War II hero, will meet the century mark July 11.

Wyatt, husband of world-famous socialite and philanthropist Lynn Wyatt, is a former Aggie football lineman and used car salesman who took out an $800 loan against his Ford truck to start a company that would later be worth billions.

The couple, which celebrated his 99th birthday and her 88th at a posh Petroleum Club dinner last summer, have represented the pinnacle of Texas society at home and abroad since they were married some 61 years ago. The cheeky idea was to get ahead of this year’s 100th, just in case. Perhaps unsurprising to those closest to Oscar, it looks like aviation enthusiast and longtime pilot will indeed meet the milestone.

CityBook visited with the Wyatts at home in River Oaks in 2021, and presented this in-depth profile of Oscar as he was to be honored at the Lone Star Flight Museum’s “Broad Stripes and Bright Stars” gala that fall.

Happy Birthday, Oscar!