"Tex" Boullioun, who secured success for Boeing jets, dies at age 87
By Dominic Gates
Seattle Times aerospace reporter
Ernest Herman "Tex" Boullioun was a flamboyant Boeing salesman whose highly personal style of deal-making secured the success of the 737, 747, 757 and 767 jet programs.
He also headed the commercial airplane division in its darkest years, during the Boeing Bust that began in 1969 and saw 86,000 jobs cut over three years.
Mr. Boullioun died Sunday (Sept. 24) at age 87. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for about five years, his family said.
In his prime, Mr. Boullioun traveled the world selling airplanes. He mixed with royalty, heads of state and celebrities. He delivered a 747 to King Hussein of Jordan. He played golf with his buddy Arnold Palmer. He owned racehorses at Longacres for 20 years.
According to Robert Serling's "Legend and Legacy," a history of the Boeing company, "Tex Boullioun was in his glory selling the 747; he was the quintessential American — informal, friendly and outgoing."
Born in 1918, Mr. Boullioun grew up in Little Rock, Ark. He left college early and traveled to the Pacific Northwest on a Harley-Davidson. He joined Boeing in 1940 as a quality-control inspector on the B-17 and B-29 bomber programs and worked his way up.
In 1967, he became vice president and general manager of the Commercial Airplanes division — and in practice, chief salesman. He was promoted to president in 1972, a position he held until his retirement from Boeing in 1984.
Mr. Boullioun earned the nickname "Tex" soon after joining Boeing, when he bet a month's salary on a college football game between Texas, his alma mater, and Oregon. He gave the Ducks 60 points. Texas beat that spread, and he won. Texas won 72-6.
A lifelong poker player, Mr. Boullioun's early reputation as a gambler followed him as he struck bold deals with airlines to win business for Boeing.
In December 1979, Mr. Boullioun learned that Trans World Airlines was set to choose the Airbus A310 over Boeing's 767, based on better fuel efficiency, recalled Joe Sutter, lead engineer on the 747 program.
Neither airplane had flown yet. Mr. Boullioun, armed with data from his engineers, flew to New York and told TWA's president that Boeing would compensate TWA if his plane wasn't superior.
TWA switched the order to 767s. Later data proved the Boeing engineers right.
His wins were more than luck, Sutter said. "He knew what Boeing knew. He gambled from strength. It was educated risk."
Mr. Boullioun succeeded in sales and in his later management role, Sutter said, because "he knew how to read people."
In 1969, the U.S. economy entered a severe downturn. Boeing faced serious risk of bankruptcy. Under orders from Boeing president T. Wilson, Mr. Boullioun oversaw massive layoffs in the Puget Sound region.
Mr. Boullioun's son Jeff said their home got a few threatening calls, but people generally accepted that the economic situation was to blame.
"It was a tough time for everybody," said the son. "But it was something that had to be done to keep at least half of the jobs at the company."
Eventually, the airplane programs that were just launching at the time of the bust — the 737 and the 747 — became Boeing icons.
After retiring from Boeing, Mr. Boullioun formed a successful aircraft-leasing company, Boullioun Aviation Services, based in Bellevue. He sold it in 1994. For some years in retirement, he met with an old Boeing crowd — including Sutter — for monthly lunches at Andy's Diner in a train car near Seattle's football stadium.
Jane Boullioun, his wife of 64 years, died in 2005. Mr. Boullioun is survived by his two sons and a daughter, and their spouses: Jeff and Kristine Boullioun of Oroville, Okanogan County; Thom Boullioun of Gold Bar, Snohomish County; and Sue and John Cooper of Sammamish; and by four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Sue works for Boeing.
The family will hold a private burial service Saturday.
Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or [email protected]
By Dominic Gates
Seattle Times aerospace reporter
Ernest Herman "Tex" Boullioun was a flamboyant Boeing salesman whose highly personal style of deal-making secured the success of the 737, 747, 757 and 767 jet programs.
He also headed the commercial airplane division in its darkest years, during the Boeing Bust that began in 1969 and saw 86,000 jobs cut over three years.
Mr. Boullioun died Sunday (Sept. 24) at age 87. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for about five years, his family said.
In his prime, Mr. Boullioun traveled the world selling airplanes. He mixed with royalty, heads of state and celebrities. He delivered a 747 to King Hussein of Jordan. He played golf with his buddy Arnold Palmer. He owned racehorses at Longacres for 20 years.
According to Robert Serling's "Legend and Legacy," a history of the Boeing company, "Tex Boullioun was in his glory selling the 747; he was the quintessential American — informal, friendly and outgoing."
Born in 1918, Mr. Boullioun grew up in Little Rock, Ark. He left college early and traveled to the Pacific Northwest on a Harley-Davidson. He joined Boeing in 1940 as a quality-control inspector on the B-17 and B-29 bomber programs and worked his way up.
In 1967, he became vice president and general manager of the Commercial Airplanes division — and in practice, chief salesman. He was promoted to president in 1972, a position he held until his retirement from Boeing in 1984.
Mr. Boullioun earned the nickname "Tex" soon after joining Boeing, when he bet a month's salary on a college football game between Texas, his alma mater, and Oregon. He gave the Ducks 60 points. Texas beat that spread, and he won. Texas won 72-6.
A lifelong poker player, Mr. Boullioun's early reputation as a gambler followed him as he struck bold deals with airlines to win business for Boeing.
In December 1979, Mr. Boullioun learned that Trans World Airlines was set to choose the Airbus A310 over Boeing's 767, based on better fuel efficiency, recalled Joe Sutter, lead engineer on the 747 program.
Neither airplane had flown yet. Mr. Boullioun, armed with data from his engineers, flew to New York and told TWA's president that Boeing would compensate TWA if his plane wasn't superior.
TWA switched the order to 767s. Later data proved the Boeing engineers right.
His wins were more than luck, Sutter said. "He knew what Boeing knew. He gambled from strength. It was educated risk."
Mr. Boullioun succeeded in sales and in his later management role, Sutter said, because "he knew how to read people."
In 1969, the U.S. economy entered a severe downturn. Boeing faced serious risk of bankruptcy. Under orders from Boeing president T. Wilson, Mr. Boullioun oversaw massive layoffs in the Puget Sound region.
Mr. Boullioun's son Jeff said their home got a few threatening calls, but people generally accepted that the economic situation was to blame.
"It was a tough time for everybody," said the son. "But it was something that had to be done to keep at least half of the jobs at the company."
Eventually, the airplane programs that were just launching at the time of the bust — the 737 and the 747 — became Boeing icons.
After retiring from Boeing, Mr. Boullioun formed a successful aircraft-leasing company, Boullioun Aviation Services, based in Bellevue. He sold it in 1994. For some years in retirement, he met with an old Boeing crowd — including Sutter — for monthly lunches at Andy's Diner in a train car near Seattle's football stadium.
Jane Boullioun, his wife of 64 years, died in 2005. Mr. Boullioun is survived by his two sons and a daughter, and their spouses: Jeff and Kristine Boullioun of Oroville, Okanogan County; Thom Boullioun of Gold Bar, Snohomish County; and Sue and John Cooper of Sammamish; and by four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Sue works for Boeing.
The family will hold a private burial service Saturday.
Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or [email protected]
