Lloyd Noble

In 1921, at the age of 24, Lloyd Noble borrowed $15,000 from his mother to buy his first oil drilling rig. From this initial purchase, he became one of the most successful and respected onshore drilling contractors in the United States. The drilling company that he founded continues today (Noble Corp.: NE:NYSE) and is one of the largest international offshore drilling contractors in the world. In addition, Mr. Noble founded an oil and gas exploration and production company, which also continues today (Noble Energy, Inc.: NBL:NYSE).

Mr. Noble often spoke of the privilege he enjoyed to live in a country where the spirit of entrepreneurship and freedom of enterprise were encouraged. Consequently, he had a strong commitment to give back to the society that he felt had afforded him opportunities for personal and financial success. As evidence of this commitment, he created The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc., in 1945. He named the Foundation after his father, who he said was the most generous man he had ever known.

As background to the history and ultimately the purpose of the Foundation, Mr. Noble regularly flew in and out of Ardmore, Oklahoma to manage his businesses. This practice allowed him to observe from a different perspective the significant erosion and other effects resulting from poor farming practices in Oklahoma and north Texas. He regarded the land as essential to the future growth, prosperity and security of our country. Accordingly, the early efforts of the Foundation focused on educating and encouraging area farmers and ranchers to be mindful of land stewardship and resource conservation.

Lloyd Noble died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 53 on Valentine's Day, 1950. He left a substantial part of his estate to the Foundation.

The Foundation continues Mr. Noble's vision today — influencing agriculture by exploring and improving production agriculture techniques and advancing plant science through research and discovery. Similar to Mr. Noble's other endeavors, the Foundation's influence is no longer limited to southern Oklahoma but stretches worldwide.

The Foundation's operations are conducted through three operating divisions — Agricultural, Plant Biology and Forage Improvement:

1. The Noble Foundation exists because of the vision and generosity of our founder, Lloyd Noble.
2. We are stewards of the resources and the vision of Lloyd Noble.
3. Our conduct will be fair and honest, and our activities will adhere to the purposes for which the Noble Foundation was established