Richard "Dick" Jennings

1976-1988

1996-Present

Richard "Dick" Jennings was born in Dyersburg, TN in 1944. Shortly thereafter, Dick's parents Richard Avon Jennings and Ollie Marie Jennings moved to Sulphur, Oklahoma where Dick grew up as a boy. He graduated from Sulphur High School in 1963 as a four sport letterman, including All-District and All-Conference in Football and Baseball. He was also very active in scouting with his father, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout with God and Country. Dick entered the University of Oklahoma in 1963 where he met his future wife Linda Romerman. In 1965 he joined the Army Reserves as a Private, receiving a direct commission five years later as a 2nd Lieutenant. Dick and Linda married in 1966 and he graduated shortly thereafter in 1970 with a BBA. After graduation, he began working for American First Title and Trust company as a management trainee.

    After the births of his two sons, Chris and Jonathan, Dick left the Army Reserves as a 1st Lieutenant in 1976 and joined Jack Romerman at Oran Huston Lumber. Dick learned well from Jack and soon became Manager, running Oran Huston into the mid 80s. He served as a past member of the Board of Directors for the Mid-America Lumberman's Association. After the deaths of Jack and Janice Lee, the emotional strains became too much for his marriage and he and Linda divorced. Dick left Oran Huston in 1988 and started his own business, T.J. Lumber Company. He started T.J. Lumber as a dry-kiln operation, and slowly grew to be a supplier of hardwood and softwood lumber. In 1996, Dick was given the opportunity to purchase the old Oran Huston yard and keep the facility family owned. He did so, and renamed the yard Jennings Building Materials. Dick moved operations of T.J. Lumber into the Jennings Building Materials yard, and converted it into a full service planer mill.

    Dick continues to come to work every day, although he is mostly there for the coffee. Dick is an active member of Church of the Servant, a member of the OCCC Symphonic choir, and has a passion for flying.