Baruch worked in the United States as a skilled worker and painter for nearly 20 years, before he passed away in 1903. His son, Samuel Lazarus Lubelsky, changed his surname to the more Anglicized Lubell. He and his wife, Jeanette, raised their children on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where he worked as a clothing manufacturer and distributor of boys’ shirts, and his company was known as Lubell Industries. In 1918, Sam expanded his business interests, investing with another industrialist to form Bell Oil and Gas Company in Wichita, Kansas, and by 1927, Sam Lubell owned the company. His son, Ben, graduated from Columbia University and Columbia Law School, and he joined the family business as the CEO in the late 1930s. The 1940 U.S. Census shows that Ben Lubell lived in Tulsa, where Bell Oil was then headquartered, with his wife, Norma, and their daughter, Ann. Their son, John, was born later. In 1965, Ben Lubell sold Bell Oil and formed Lubell Oil Company, an oil production business.
In 1946, Sam Lubell created the Jeanette and Samuel Lubell Foundation to share his financial success with others and support worthy causes. Sam Lubell also helped organize the Society for the Advancement of Judaism. Ben Lubell later became the Trustee of the Lubell Foundation, sustaining the family’s philanthropic tradition after his father passed away in 1966 at the age of 86.
Ben and Norma Lubell were stalwart supporters of Tulsa and its civic activities. Ben’s reputation as an arts patron was unparalleled. He was named the Tulsa Arts Council’s first chairman in 1969, and began working with his advisory board to select art for city buildings. He served on the Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa, the Oklahoma Arts and Humanities Council, was a founding trustee of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, and received several awards and honors for his contributions, including having a Tulsa park named in his honor. Ben Lubell also was active in the Jewish Community Council and was president of Temple Israel. Norma was equally involved in organizations, including the Temple Israel sisterhood, the National Council of Jewish Women, and Hadassah. Mrs. Lubell also was active in the League of Women Voters.
Ben and Norma Lubell hold a special place in the hearts of The University of Tulsa family. After many years of devoted service, Ben was named an Honorary Lifetime Trustee. In addition to their many other contributions to TU, Ben Lubell generously established the Lubell Distinguished Visiting Professor of Judaic Studies in 1989 with funding from the Jeanette and Samuel Lubell Foundation. This professorship brings visiting faculty members in the fields of history, literature, political science, philosophy and religion to campus to teach and lecture on issues related to Judaism. Norma Lubell died in 1995, and Ben Lubell passed away in 1996.
The University of Tulsa is sincerely grateful to the entire Lubell family for their caring philanthropic tradition, which continues to enhance the study of Judaism at TU.
