Red McCombs has, in his words, "dabbled in automobiles, cattle, oil and gas, broadcasting, insurance, racehorses, motion pictures, real estate, politics, minor league baseball, and pro football." The successful businessman is also the cofounder of Clear Channel Communications, the former owner of two professional basketball teams, and a noted philanthropist. Published by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, Big Red is a candid first-person account of the life and times of this extraordinary Texan.
Based on a series of oral history interviews with Dr. Don Carleton, the book begins with an account of McCombs's childhood in the West Texas town of Spur, where he first went into business for himself at the age of ten by selling peanuts to farmworkers. McCombs started selling cars in Corpus Christi in 1950, and before long he was one of the most successful Ford dealers in the country. He moved to San Antonio in 1958 and built a business empire, always looking for his next great deal. Through all of his wheeling and dealing, however, McCombs says he's signed only one lifetime contract—with his wife, Charline.
McCombs's candid views on why U.S. automakers floundered, as well as his insights on the development of the highly successful Clear Channel Communications, are among the many behind-the-scenes accounts he relates about his remarkable life.

Big Red: Memoirs of a Texas Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Biographies & Memoirs

Carleton, Don

McCombs, Red

Professionals & Academics

Briscoe Ctr for Amer History UT-Austin

Big man, big voice, big boots, and big deals. Meet Red McCombs, who hasn't heard his given name, Billy Joe, since his mother called him that years ago. His is a story of "only in America," but with a Texas twist. Even down to the name he never uses, Red is a living logo for the Lone Star State—a strapping man with a booming bass voice, a wheeler-dealer who shoots from the hip and asks questions later. 
In the circles he travels, people know him only as Red. They also know him as cattle and oil baron, empire builder in cars and sports, investor in more than 200 companies. 
In the area of sports, Red offers a revealing glimpse that few if any owners have ever shared. He tells how trades are made and how coaches are hired and fired. 
Few self-made billionaires ever had a more rollicking ride for their money. McCombs has power and knows how to use it. He's made a fortune and knows how to share it. 
This is an autobiography unlike any written by a corporate giant.

The Red Zone: Cars, Cows and Coaches : The Life and Good Times of a Texas Dealmaker

Herskowitz, Mickey

Eakin Pr

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