“The way I view my calling changed while I was at Acton. It is no longer just about creating a legacy solely based on my job.” - Michael Hanson '07
George Lindahl
George Lindahl is a free spirit. He was a top scientist at BP Amoco, but one who wore leather pants and pink shirts. He's a world-class trader and art collector, and the former chairman of Union Pacific Resources. He lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house. He doesn't care what people might think. He follows his passions.
Lindahl's career as a businessman is one of prestige and great success. After working at BP Amoco, he moved to United Pacific Resources, directing the company to double digit percentage growth for reserves and production, and working his way up to chairman of the company. Taking the company as far as he could, he then merged it with Anadarko. Lindahl, known for his honesty, is well loved in the oil industry.
Away from his office job, Lindahl pursued his lifelong passion for the acquisition and trading of beautiful things. He's a very serious collector of minerals, a passion that started as his childhood hobby and lead to studying geology in college. He often owns four or five cars, always looking for that next deal for a Rolls Royce. Besides minerals and cars, he loves collecting vintage wristwatches, cufflinks, art deco paintings, and sculptures.
These days, though, most of Lindahl's time and money go to his philanthropic and missionary interests. He and his wife Catherine are generous supporters of Goodwill Industries in their hometown of Houston. They also devote themselves through their church to Christian missionary work in Mexico and Honduras, providing aid to the underprivileged. Lindahl is the Chairman of LeadNow, an organization that mentors Christian male college students, helping them make the difficult transition from college into the workplace after graduation. LeadNow works to help young men keep their Christian focus when they start lives independent of the support networks they may have depended upon at home and in school. George Lindahl sees the quality and value of individuals and dedicates himself to preserving those strengths.
Lord Acton once said, "I'm not a driven businessman, but a driven artist. I never think about money. Beautiful things make money." George Lindahl, a man who has followed his own course in the pursuit of beauty in all its forms, embodies these words as a model for Acton scholars.
