The Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation appeared on the first annual Fortune 500 list that was ever published, in 1955.
The Fortune 500 is compiled and published by Fortune magazine, and it ranks 500 of the largest U.S. corporations by total revenue for their fiscal years. The list includes both publicly held companies, as well as privately held companies for which revenues are publicly available.
An anecdotal story from the corporation’s history states that when a company representative from Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation went before the New York Stock Exchange board to apply for the corporate stock to be publicly listed, he was asked why the company desired it. He explained that the CEO, Lev H. Prichard, had achieved considerable status and the company was of sufficient revenues that it merited inclusion. The application was granted, and Anderson-Prichard Oil became listed on the NYSE.1 It was because of the publication of the company’s yearly revenue data as required of publicly-traded stock that the company qualified for repeated inclusion in the Fortune 500 list.
Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation Performance Data:
1955
Fortune 500 – 1955: Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation – Rank: 457
| FORTUNE 500 DATA | $ millions |
% change from 1954 |
Rank |
Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 54.7 | N.A. | 457 | N.A. |
| Profits | 3.3 | N.A. | 346 | N.A. |
| Pre-Tax Profits | 3.3 | ~ | 426 | ~ |
| Assets | 55.4 | ~ | 346 | |
| Stockholders* | 4,800 | ~ | 357 | ~ |
| Employees* | 852 | ~ | 495 | ~ |
1956
Fortune 500 – 1956: Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation – Rank: 455
| FORTUNE 500 DATA | $ millions |
% change from 1955 |
Rank |
Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 61.0 | N.A. | 455 | 457 |
| Profits | 5.0 | N.A. | 315 | 346 |
| Assets | 60.8 | ~ | 348 | 346 |
| Stockholders* | 4,500 | ~ | 375 | ~ |
| Employees* | 1,037 | ~ | 490 | ~ |
1957
Fortune 500 – 1957: Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation – Rank: 457
| FORTUNE 500 DATA | $ millions |
% change from 1956 |
Rank |
Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 67.6 | N.A. | 457 | 455 |
| Profits | 7.4 | N.A. | 267 | 315 |
| Assets | 74.8 | ~ | 328 | 348 |
| Stockholders* | 5,250 | ~ | 360 | ~ |
| Stockholders’ Equity | 55.4 | ~ | N.A. | N.A. |
| Employees* | 928 | ~ | 487 | ~ |
1958
Fortune 500 – 1958: Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation – Rank: 459
| FORTUNE 500 DATA | $ millions |
% change from 1957 |
Rank |
Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 70.8 | N.A. | 459 | 457 |
| Profits | 5.2 | N.A. | 330 | 267 |
| Assets | 85.2 | ~ | 319 | 328 |
| Stockholders’ Equity | 58.2 | ~ | N.A. | N.A. |
| Employees* | 989 | ~ | 486 | ~ |
1959
Fortune 500 – 1959: Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation – Rank: 455
| FORTUNE 500 DATA | $ millions |
% change from 1958 |
Rank |
Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 69.4 | N.A. | 455 | 459 |
| Profits | 3.8 | N.A. | 344 | 330 |
| Assets | 88.8 | ~ | 308 | 319 |
| Stockholders’ Equity | 59.7 | ~ | N.A. | N.A. |
| Employees* | 917 | ~ | 492 | ~ |
1960
Fortune 500 – 1960: Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation – Rank: 493
| FORTUNE 500 DATA | $ millions |
% change from 1959 |
Rank |
Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 72.6 | N.A. | 493 | 455 |
| Profits | 6.9 | N.A. | 299 | 344 |
| Assets | 96.4 | ~ | 319 | 308 |
| Stockholders’ Equity | 64.2 | ~ | N.A. | N.A. |
| Employees* | 910 | ~ | 497 | ~ |
1961
Fortune 500 – 1961: Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation – Rank: 485
| FORTUNE 500 DATA | $ millions |
% change from 1960 |
Rank |
Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 75.3 | N.A. | 485 | 493 |
| Profits | 5.3 | N.A. | 320 | 299 |
| Assets | 101.1 | ~ | 316 | 319 |
| Stockholders’ Equity | 69.9 | ~ | N.A. | N.A. |
| Employees* | 915 | ~ | 496 | ~ |
References:
- Boyd, Neale. A history of APCO Oil Corporation and its predecessor company, Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation. Published by APCO Oil Corporation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1977.
- Fortune. Fortune 500 company data. Fortune.com, 1955-1961.
