Maxwell Herring
Maxwell Herring’s journey began in Lafayette, Louisiana, with Phillips Petroleum, taking him through Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and Denver, Colorado, before returning to Tyler, Texas, in 1971. There, he joined his father, Maxie Herring Sr., at Maxwell Herring Drilling Company, helping uphold the family’s legacy as pioneers in the East Texas oil fields until his retirement in 1991.
The Herring and Cooper families significantly shaped education and the oil industry across Tyler, Kilgore, and Breckenridge, Texas, starting as early as 1920. Maxwell’s 55-year membership in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and affiliations with historical and genealogical societies reflected his passion for history, learning, and community service.
A proud Kilgore High School Bulldog, Maxwell valued literature, lifelong learning, and family connections, leaving a lasting legacy of dedication, love, and service.
Ann Herring Duncan
Ann Herring was a trailblazer in the East Texas oilfields and a key figure in her family’s storied legacy. Raised in Kilgore, Ann was a proud graduate of Kilgore High School, where she shone as Miss KHS, a cheerleader, and a student leader. Her early career at Howe-Baker Engineers saw her sending engineers worldwide, a role she approached with dedication and precision.
At her father's request, Ann joined the family business, Maxwell Herring Drilling Corporation, embracing the adventurous spirit of East Texas oil wildcatting. Alongside her father and brother, she became a vital part of the thriving oil era, carrying forward a family legacy that left a lasting mark on the education and oil industries in Tyler, Kilgore, and Breckenridge, Texas, dating back to the 1920s.
Ann’s impact was not only professional but deeply personal. She will be remembered as a fiercely independent woman with a generous heart, a devoted mother, and a cherished friend. Her faith, strength, and unwavering love for her family and community defined her life and legacy.
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Max Herring Jr.
Max Herring, a Kilgore High School graduate, earned a Master of Science in Geology from Texas A&M in 1964 and began his career with Phillips Petroleum in Lafayette, Louisiana.
His work took him to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and Denver, Colorado, before he returned to Tyler in 1971 to join his father, Maxie Herring Sr., at the Maxwell Herring Drilling Company. Together with his sister Ann, they upheld the family’s legacy as among the last of the East Texas oil wildcatters, shaping the oil industry in Texas until Max’s retirement in 1991.
A proud member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists for over 55 years, Max’s passion for geology, history, and genealogy was evident in his lifelong pursuits and community involvement. His dedication to family, industry, and heritage remains a cornerstone of the Herring/Cooper legacy, which has influenced education and oil in Texas since the 1920s.