John L. Rankin
With his bright red coat signaling a
banner sale, John L. Rankin presided over offshore lease sales for more
than 25 years. He guided the leasing program from its infancy to its
position as a widely-respected model for minerals management and
conservatino of our energy resources. The "Red Jacket" tradition is now a
standard among Rankin's successors. In 1982, when the Minerals Management
Service was created by combining the offshore leasing, operational, and
stewardship functions of the Bureau of Land Management and Conservation
Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, Rankin was selected as the first
Director of the Gulf of Mexico Region. He held that position along with
the moniker "Mr. OCS" until he retired in 1985. |