Jay Poisar Walker was born on April 14, 1891, in Warsaw, Illinois. He attended school in Warsaw and worked in button and shoe factories. In 1909, he moved to Tulsa to work for the Oil Well Supply Company. In 1917, he organized the American Tank Company in Cushing, Oklahoma. Walker moved back to Tulsa in 1926 and founded the National Tank Company. He was elected to TU’s board of trustees in 1952.

The Jay Poisar Walker Trust Fund was established through a bequest from Jay P. Walker. Income from the trust supports current operations and support a chair of American history.