Oman Systems, Inc

Third Generation -
Stirton Oman & John Oman III

In 1938 the Oman boys became partners in the business with their father, along with Mr. Hugh Godwin and C. T. McLemore, Jr., a cousin of the Oman's, together they all worked with distinction, directing the work on many significant projects about the world.

In the early 1940's Oman Construction Company became involved in ordnance work with a firm which was to play a major role later in the affairs of the Nashville-based company. The firm was the H. K. Ferguson Company of Cleveland, Ohio. When H.K. Ferguson died, the Oman brothers headed a group that purchased the company and all its holdings. The company progressed under the direction of Stirton and John III, as executive officers, and in 1950 they sold the firm to the Morrison-Knudsen Company of Boise, Idaho. The Ferguson Company continued to make great strides under the continued direction of the Oman's. Oman Construction Company also continued to grow during the post-World War II years. Besides numerous contracts on this continent, Oman began to take on big projects in such places as the Azores and Spain and later in many foreign countries; such as Pakistan, Saudia Arabia, Iran, Panama, Afghanistan, Australia, Peru and Bolivia.

In 1950, Stirton, John, III and Mr. Godwin organized the present Oman Construction Company, Inc. Business was good and progress continued to be made at a high level.

John III was a top rated pilot with thousands of hours of flying time. In 1960 the company had distinguished visitors from Argentina and John flew the group down to Mussel Shoals, Alabama, in the company plane. It was on the way back, after leaving the guests that he ran into freak weather conditions and crashed near his home. As John III had requested, his brother, Stirton bought his brother's interest in the company. John III had four daughters, and played an integral part of the Oman organization until his tragic accident.

Like their forefathers, the Oman's grew up in the family business and continued on.

Stirton Oman

The environment that Stirton Oman literally grew up and in which he has spent all of his busy lifetime is still going strong with progress. As a youth he attended public schools and graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in his hometown. After graduation, he began learning the stone setting trade and served his time as an apprentice stone setter and brick layer. For a number of years he worked as a journeyman stone setter and held membership in the bricklayers' union. In 1926, he took out a withdrawal card from the union and began working full time for his father. During this period the Oman Company was gradually getting out of the cut stone business and he devoted his time almost exclusively to highway construction.

Since then, despite the demands on his time as chief executive officer for a worldwide construction firm and director of many other corporations, he has been able to serve in many business, civic, and community capacities. Construction is so much a part of his life that he lists it as his "hobby" as well as vocation - along with his fine family activities and cattle farming.

The Oman's have always placed a priority on education along with their work, attending good schools of learning and receiving their degrees from well-known academies and universities. Oman has also been instrumental in furthering the education and careers of a number of Vanderbilt University engineers. There are usually one or two students working part time in the Nashville office to help pay their way thru school. Many of these young men are a part of Oman's top management, heading up major construction projects throughout the world.

Many awards and commendations have been extended to the company, as well as, Stirton, himself. In May, 1968 the formal dedication of Oro Dam was at hand. The project was the Oroville Sam in Northern California, the highest earth- fill structure of its kind in the world, and on which Oman was the sponsor in a co-venture with several other noted builders. His two sons, Stirton, Jr. and Jack are also honored by their associates for their hard work in all phases of the construction of this great project.

Two days after the formal dedication of the dam, Recognition Night was held at Pepperdine College in California. It was a recognition around one of the most outstanding achievements of all in the long and illustrious history of the Oman Company and the southern gentlemen who is its head. Pepperdine Recognition Night was attended by Stirton, his wife, three daughters and two sons, associates and the men who had worked to date on its various component parts to construct one of the world's most elaborate water storage and transmission projects. The honor will always be remembered by the Oman family and co-workers. The honor was more than his part in the building of a great dam. It was for the integrity and humanitarianism and went into the molding of a company capable of such feats. Scrolls admitting them to he "Hall of America's Builders" at Pepperdine College was presented and Stirton Oman, Chairman of the Board of Oman Construction Company, Inc., was singled out to receive the honorary doctor of laws degree from Pepperdine.

The first decade launched as a corporation, the fourth generation continued on.