Harold R. Logan

HAROLD R. LOGAN Government, Shipping, & Oil Executive Harold R. Logan, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Grace Lines Shipping Company and Vice Chairman of W.R. Grace & Co., died on January 23, 2009 in Stuart, Florida from complications of prostate cancer. He was 87. As an accomplished manager in government, business, and charity, Mr. Logan rose to the position of Director of the Budget for the Defense Department during the Eisenhower administration. He left government in 1960 to become Chief Financial Officer of Grace Lines Shipping Company, a subsidiary of W.R. Grace & Co. In 1967, he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Grace Lines. In 1969, he managed the sale of Grace Lines to the Skouras shipping interests in Greece. In 1970, Mr. Logan helped found the Natural Resources Division of W.R. Grace and built it up to be one of the largest land-drilling rig companies in the US, with major interests in oil and gas production and mining. He was elected to the Board of Directors of W.R. Grace in 1976 and elected Vice Chairman in 1981. He retired from W.R. Grace in 1986. Serving on the boards of a wide array of industries and charities, Mr. Logan was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Comstock Resources, Inc.; and a Director of IC Industries, Inc., Whitman Corporation, Chelsea Industries, Abex Corporation, Neuberger Berman Bond Fund Advisory Board, Dome Canada Ltd, Energy Fund Inc., and Voyager Petroleum Ltd. He was a Trustee of the University of New Haven, a Trustee of Norfield Congregational Church of Weston, Connecticut, and a founding member of the Board of Trustees of the South Street Seaport Museum. He was inducted into the Spears Business School Hall of Fame at Oklahoma State University in 1964. Mr. Logan is survived by his wife, Tolita Christensen Logan; his son, Harold R. Logan, Jr. of Denver; his daughter, Mary Betts Bohm of New York; grandsons Scott Logan and Matthew Logan; and great granddaughters, Katherine and Avery Logan. He is also survived by his sisters, Dorothy Guy and Betty Berry of California; LaRue Terry of Texas; and LaNore Hayes of Oklahoma; as well as step children Peter Christensen, Jeff Christensen and Liz Christensen. Mr. Logan was pre-deceased by his wife of 44 years, Freda Townsend Logan, in 1984. Plans for services will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Treasure Coast Hospices (1201 SE Indian Street; Stuart, Florida 34997) and Peace Presbyterian Church (4881 SE Cove Road; Stuart, Florida 34997).