Joseph Rumsey III, founder of Zero Mountain, dies
by August 13, 2010 5:04 pm 970 views
Joseph Francke Rumsey III, the founder of Zero Mountain Inc., died Friday (Aug. 13). He was 90.
Zero Mountain began in 1955 in a limestone mine located in Johnson (in Washington County near Springdale). The old mine had 25,000 square feet of refrigerated and freezer space. The company today is a $50 million dollar operation that employs about 300 people and provides more than 30 million cubic feet of control temperature storage in Fort Smith, Johnson, Lowell, and Russellville.
Not only was Rumsey a successful businessman, his philanthropic support of numerous Oklahoma and Arkansas organizations is legendary and broad.
The family provided the following obit.
Joseph Francke Rumsey, III died Friday, August 13, 2010 following a brief illness. Born July 13, 1920 to Mary Baker and Joseph Francke Rumsey, Jr. in Oklahoma City, OK, Joe grew up in Oklahoma City before attending the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CN and receiving his B.S. in Economics from The University of California, Berkley in 1944.
After graduation he worked as a petroleum scout for British Petroleum in billings Montana before returning to Oklahoma City to run the family businesses in 1946. He was President of The Terminal Land Company from 1946 until his death and Founder and Chairman of the Board of Zero Mountain, Inc., an Arkansas based Corporation. He served as Vice President of Royalty Corp for America in Tulsa, OK from 1948 until 1953, Vice President of Big “D” Chemical Co. from 1951 – 1968 and President of Rumsey Ranch Co. from 1946 until 2008.
Joseph was a member of the Independent Petroleum Producers of America for over 60 years. He was an avid inventor holding eight patents in various industrial areas and had a keen interest in the study of cycles, as well as meteorology.
He established the Virginia Briscoe and Nona Jean Hulsey Rumsey Endowed Chair for Pulmonary Research at the University Of Oklahoma School Of Medicine. The stockholders and employees of Zero Mountain, Inc. created the Joseph Francke Rumsey, III Endowment Scholarship at the University of Arkansas School of Agriculture in his honor.
Joseph served on the Boards of the Oklahoma City Council of Public Affairs, University of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and Friends of the Library and established the Mary Baker Rumsey Memorial Garden for the Oklahoma City Junior League.
He was a supporter for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum where he helped establish the Nona Jean Hulsey Rumsey Learning Center. His passion for life and curiosity in all things gave him an extraordinary perspective on business. His personal ethics and sense of humor were without equal.
He was preceded in death by his wives, Virginia Briscoe Rumsey and Nona Jean Hulsey Rumsey, as well as a son, Joseph R. Rumsey, IV and a brother, Charles Baker Rumsey.
He is survived by his longtime friend and companion Janelle Everest, a daughter, Mary and her husband, Peter Foley of Edina, MN, a step-son, Albert Upsher of Jackson Hole, WY, a son, Mark Rumsey and his wife Victoria of Fort Smith, AR.; grandchildren, Joseph Rumsey of Fayetteville, AR, Sarah Rumsey of Houston, TX, Meghan, Mathew, Molly and Christopher Foley of Edina, MN.
Joe Rumsey was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He will always be remembered for his personal ethics and his sense of humor.
Private services will be held at All Souls Episcopal Church at 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 16. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum or the University of Oklahoma Medical Foundation. The family wishes to express their thanks to Susan and Helen for their loving care and to Mercy Hospice.