William Doheny Sr., 83; Descendant of California Oil Industry Pioneers
From Staff and Wire Reports
William Henry Doheny Sr., 83, a descendant of California oil pioneers and longtime director on the board of Unocal Corp., died Jan. 12 in Los Angeles. The cause of death was not announced.
Doheny was the grandson of E.L. Doheny, one of the founders of the Southern California oil industry.
William Doheny served during World War II in the U.S. Navy Reserve and commanded the high-speed transport Ira Jeffery.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 1949. Later, he was involved in the oil and gas business and in various philanthropies. He served for 36 years on the Unocal board. During the 1950s, Doheny also supported Southern California’s burgeoning car-racing scene as a sponsor of race cars.
