Oklahoma native and Cherokee descendant Robert Mayes Hart, of the Mayes family for which Mayes County, Oklahoma, was named, graduated from Tulsa’s Will Rogers High School. He was awarded scholarships to both Harvard and Yale and received degrees from Harvard and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Laws from New York University, and is a Certified Public Accountant. Hart joined Shell Oil Company in Tulsa as an attorney in the legal department in 1950, and moved to the head office for legal affairs in New York in 1952 and began his climb through the ranks in Royal Dutch/Shell. He became only the second American to be named as one of eight managing directors of the company and was primarily responsible in the areas of manufacturing, transportation, and marketing. At the time, the company also held the distinction of heading the world’s third largest “navy,” as only the U.S. and Soviet Union had more ships than Royal Dutch/Shell. During his tenure, Hart appeared on the cover of Forbes magazine and is recognized as one of Oklahoma’s most internationally prominent and respected figures in the energy industry.