By WyoFile writers: Anne MacKinnon. Samuel Western, Phil White, Geoffrey O’Gara and Katharine Collins
Go to photo gallery: Casper Star Tribune Collection, Casper College Western History Center
Photo: Casper Star Tribune Collection, Casper College Western History Center
Casper — Tom Stroock, who died Sunday December 13 at age 84 after a series of health problems, was an Ivy League graduate, a captain of the energy industry, an ambassador in Latin America, and a friend of Presidents, whose worldly experience never dwarfed his engagement and investment in his “very special place,” Wyoming.
As a state senator and an advisor to governors, Stroock played a pivotal role during the state’s efforts over the last 40 years to harness booming energy resources while protecting Wyoming’s unique qualities. To this end, he joined legislative and policy battles in fields including energy development, state revenues, education, environment, and health care, to name a few.
“As we try to develop this energy industry infrastructure, let us remember not to ruin what makes Wyoming, Wyoming,” Stroock admonished an audience in 2006.
When Stroock felt Wyoming was at risk of ruin, he showed a willingness to act against his own business interests in order to protect the state’s resources. He played a leadership role in the Wyoming Senate during an extraordinary period when solons passed mineral sererance taxes, the state’s Clean Air Act, and the Environmental Quality Act – laws that were largely opposed by the energy industry where Stroock had made his mark as a land man and businessman.
“We were being looked on as the diggers and rapers and guys walking off with the state by the shovelful, and I didn’t like that,” he said in an interview last year. “I didn’t like it. So I tried whenever it was possible to do so, to get environmental matters that the industry could support.”
Gov. Dave Freudenthal commented Monday that he admired Stroock’s lifelong stance as an industry and political leader “that it was OK to make lots of money but it wasn’t OK for the industry to act like they owned the place.”
“Tom was– how does one put this?– incredibly candid. But the thing you had to realize was that he wasn’t out to get you. He was out to make things better,” said Freudenthal.
Starting from New York
Born in New York City on October 10, 1925, Thomas F. Stroock graduated from high school in 1943 and enrolled at Yale University, but enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in his freshman year and served to 1946. Returning to Yale, he graduated in 1948.
He often said the most important move of his life was in 1949, marrying Marta Freyre de Andrade, born and raised in Cuba and a graduate of Smith College. In the late 1940s Tom and Marta Stroock moved to Casper to try the oil industry. Working in Casper in the Land Department of Stanolind Oil & Gas Company until 1952, Stroock then founded his own oil and gas properties firm, Stroock Leasing Corporation, now Alpha Development Co.
His first run for office, in 1960, garnered a seat on the Natrona County School Board. He served there for 9 years (including a stint as board president) and went on to represent Natrona County in the state Senate, ultimately serving as co-chair of the legislative Joint Appropriations Committee, charged with state budget work. He was Republican nominee for Wyoming’s lone seat in Congress in 1974, losing to incumbent Democrat Teno Roncalio.
His old Yale friend President George H.W. Bush in 1989 named him U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala, where he served until1992. After his return from Guatemala he headed the Wyoming Health Reform Commission and was Professor of Public Diplomacy at the University of Wyoming. He endowed a UW professorship in economics and an annual Stroock Forum on Wyoming Lands and People, and joined the Energy Resources Council advising the first years of the UW School of Energy Resources established in 2006.
Stroock was in many ways a classic Wyoming Republican of the late 20th century: Conservative in fiscal issues, watchful of the social and environmental changes brought on by the massive economic changes of his era. He served as chairman of the state party in the late 1970s, and became a leader of a cadre of independent oilmen in the state Legislature who preached a healthy skepticism about whether the major energy companies had Wyoming’s interests at heart.
With his wife Marta, he worked to improve Wyoming school systems, supported the Equal Rights Amendment for women, and helped defeat proposed anti-abortion legislation in Wyoming. He helped Richard Chene get into Yale and later enter national politics, but was critical 35 years later when torture was authorized by the administration of Vice-President Cheney and President George W. Bush, the son of his old friend..
Stroock is remembered as a gentleman – one with strong opinions, and unafraid to state them. He had a sharp wit and sense of humor. “A Tom Stick Bumper Stroocker,” read a campaign bumper sticker.
His manner was courtly but he loved the practical details of policy-making. He could make fast friends among legislators from very different backgrounds (though he did find a few he considered unbearable.) He was an avid outdoorsman. He remained enough of a Marine that neither his children nor state agency heads he dealt with on budget matters could quite forget that piece of his past when he told them what he thought.
Rep. John Patton (R-H29, Sheridan), who sat in the state Senate with Stroock in the late 1960s and became a lifelong friend, said Stroock’s key contribution to the state was “his integrity in public office and the mindfulness he gave to the state of Wyoming. He genuinely cared about people and the life of the community. Not just Casper, either. As far as Tom and Marta were concerned, Wyoming was their community.”
Sen. Alan Simpson, who served in the Wyoming House while Stroock was in the Senate, remembered Stroock as “a bulldozer of ideas.”
“He stayed out of the deep partisan crap,” said Simpson, “and he was the ultimate Wyoming citizen. He was a total participant.”
Stroock also nudged the Wyoming Republican party towards a more progressive position, Patton said.
“There were some things he did that the energy business thought made him a traitor,” Patton said. “But, along with Cliff Hansen and Stan Hathaway, Tom showed that we could live within our means and still be progressive.”
{ 11 comments }
As a child I played with Margie in the Stroock home. My life long strong connection with the Latin American culture was born there. I remember working on an arts festival with Guatemalan artists in Canada and corresponding with them while they served in Guatemala. I was so proud to know them. The integrity and truthful expression in Tom has put a compassionate and noble American face in troubled places and issues.
Tom Stroock was a gentleman full of honesty, happiness, pure love, conviction and integrated action towards the good in life. As a young landman in the oil business his encouraging words made me feel equal to all of the men in the industry. I ran for, President of the Wyoming Association of Professional Landmen, in-part, due to encouragement from Tom. I enjoyed that year in office, and a highlight included sitting with Tom, and others, at the old Derrick near the Platte River during its dedication. Tom’s dedication to the good in life will never be forgotten. His children also reflect the good in life. Sincerely, Jill Reed
A wonderful article about a wonderful and unique man. But in all the tributes to Tom, little has been said about his support for art in Wyoming. Tom was a great patron of my father, the sculptor Robert Russin. He was one the men responsible for the fountain at City Hall and the Prometheus in front of the Library, and he helped create a sculpture fellowship at UW that gave many artists their start. And Tom would certainly want to be remembered, among all his many other achievements, as a great fisherman. He could fish, and tell fish stories, with the best of them. I will miss him greatly.
A historic figure in our state, he took time to drive down to Laramie regularly to lend his unique perspective on Wyoming to students in my history classes as well as to me. Like many others, I will miss his wise counsel.
As a young person and close friend to Tom and Marta’s oldest daughter, Margie, Tom’s passion and firey temper was daunting. The man had convictions and deeply cared about issues and people. As he aged, he was all heart. I adored him!
I enjoyed the read and comments from good friends! A well written piece on one of the public servants who set the bar so high for those of us who have followed him into public service. We have much to live up to because of visionaries like Tom.
I was fortunate to get to know Tom when I was the environmental writer for the Star-Tribune and later covered his ambassadorial appointment when based in D.C. He was both a gracious and blunt man – often at the same time. One of the last of the Teddy Roosevelt Republicans, and a man who left Wyoming much the better for his having adopted it as his home.
I’ll miss Tom. He was a generous man and his political life overshadowed other things he did in the community, including supporting the arts. He shared some great advice with me over the years and remained interested and engaged right up to the end.
A true gentleman and a scholar who will be sorely missed. Wyoming has lost a friend.
Well done. A worthy tribute to a one-of-a-kind Wyomingite.
An excellent tribute to and overview of a remarkable man,