Biography · Business & Enterprise
Jake Simmons
1901–1981
United States
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Biography
Joseph Jacob Simmons Jr. (January 17, 1901 – March 24, 1981) was a prominent African-American oilman. He "rose above humble beginnings to become the most successful and most recognizable black entrepreneur in the history of the petroleum industry." As an internationally known oil broker he partnered with Phillips Petroleum Company and Signal Oil and Gas to open up African oil fields in Liberia, Nigeria and Ghana.
Sources & collection details
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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13