Oklahoma native John Smith “Jack” Zink graduated Cascia Hall High School in Tulsa before earning his degree in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1951. He took over the family business, the John Zink Company, in 1962, and built it into a world leader in the oilfield combustion industry. He sold out to Sunbeam Corporation in 1980 and then started ZEECO in 1981, again pioneering equipment for the oil industry. When he retired in 2000 he held 35 patents.

Mr. Zink’s 32,000-acre ranch outside Skiatook, Oklahoma, includes four scout camps and annually hosts over 10,000 Girl and Boy Scouts. He is a member of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, and his awards include the Volunteers of America Premiere Award and the Boy Scouts Silver Buffalo Service Award.