John Hughes, an influential rancher and community leader, managed the Hughes Osage County Ranch, originally established by his father, an oil industry pioneer with Phillips Petroleum, in 1938. John’s passion for ranching began early; he purchased his first cattle while still in high school. After graduating from College High School in 1951, he pursued a degree in animal science at Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University), graduating in 1955.
Taking over the ranch’s day-to-day operations, John maintained a cow/calf operation for over 30 years before transitioning to a stocker business in the late 1980s. He expanded the ranch from its original 1,800 acres to over 12,000 acres, stretching from southwest of Bartlesville to the northern border of Woolaroc. In addition to cattle, the Hughes Ranch became a sanctuary for thousands of adopted wild mustangs starting in 1989.
John’s contributions to agriculture and his community earned him numerous accolades. He was the 16th inductee into the Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame and received a Centennial Medallion at Bartlesville’s 100th birthday celebration in 1997 for his contributions to local cattle and agriculture. In 2011, the Bartlesville Community Foundation inducted the Hughes family into its Legacy Hall of Fame.
John Hughes passed away at the age of 80 on June 19, 2013. His legacy endures through the expansive ranch he built and the positive impact he made on his community and the agricultural industry.
