Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-26
James A. Moffeit, IS,
First U. 5. Housing
Administrator, Dies
BY The Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Mar. 26.-James
A. Moffett. sc. the Nations first
Federal Housing Administrator
and widely-known in both Amer
lean and international oil activ-
tiles. died yesterday after a long
illness.
Death came at the home Of
Mr.. Moffett's brother-in-law and
sister, Mr.. and Mrs. Harold O..
Barker.
At various times in his career
Mr.. Moffett had been a senior
vice president of Standard Oil
Co. Of New Jersey, a vice presi-
dent Of the Standard Oil Co. Of
California and chairman Of the
board of the California Texas
Oil Co.
Named 70 Post IN 1884.
Mr.. Mofett was named Fed
eral housing administrator in
1884 by President Roosevelt. He
resigned the housing post a year
later after having started a home
modernization program which
was credited with helping in the
financial recovery Of the Nation.
Mr.. Moffett returned to the oil
business and, before World War
II, he helped open up the rich
oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. For
several years he acted as an un-
official adviser to President
Roosevelt on Far Eastern affairs.
In 1949. Mr.. Moffett brought
suit against the American-owned
Arabian-American Oil Co.. ask
ing Sc million.
Mr.. Moffett claimed that
amount for services he said he
performed for the company in
1941 in protecting the company's
rich oil concession in the desert
kingdom.
Mr.. Moffett contended the
company was threatened with
cancellation of its concession UNI
less certain payments were made
to King Ibn Saud. He said the
oil company asked him to 60 to
Washington. adding that he took
the matter up with President
Roosevelt and other high off,
Gals. AS a result, Mr.. Moffett
said, the United States Govern
ment told Britain to meet Ibn
Saud's demands out Of an Amer
lean loan.
Verdict Set Aside.
A Federal court jury awarded
Mr.. Moffett $1,150,000. The trial
judge set the verdict aside, de-
claring such a verbal contract
between the company and MIR.
Moffett was against public policy
because it involved sale of in
f1uence with public officials.
Mr.. Mofett once said that his
relatively short period of Gov
eminent service cost him $2.5
million. The oil executive fig
ured he sacrificed that much in
salaries, pensions credits and
the premature sale of securities.
He felt he should not hold oil
securities while serving in a
Government capacity involv-
ing oil.
Mr.. Mo1ett followed in the
business footsteps Of his father,
James Andrew Mofett, one of
the developers and first officials
of the old Standard Oil Co.
Both father and son served as
senior vice president and op-
Grating head Of the company.
Mr.. Moffett left the company
in 1888 to serve on Gen. Hugh
Johnson'S MIRA Oil Advisory
Committee. Later he was on the
Presidents Oil Planning and
Co-ordinating Committee before
taking the housing post. =.
Born in West Virginia.
Mr.. Moffett was born June 80,
1885, at Parkersburg, w. va,
then one of the centers of oil
production. His father had quit
teaching school to go there at
the age of 18 to work in a re-
hnery. The son quit Princeton
University at the end of his
freshman year to start in the
oil business.
Mr.. Moffett had been married
three times. His first wife was
the former Adelaide McMichael
OF New York. They had five
children, two sons, Robert a.,
and Jackson, and three daugh-
tiers, Adelaide. Margaret and
Ruth. After his wife's death in
1894 he married Mrs. Adelaide
Kim Moran. widow of Joseph F.
Moran, shipbuilder. The marriage
ended in divorce. In 1941 he
married Mrs. Irene Curley Bodde
OF Detroit. the former wife of
Franklin L. Hutton.
In addition to his widow and
children. Mr.. Moffett is survived
by a sister, Mrs. Barker.
Funeral services will be held
Saturday at st. James Church
in New Work.