The Petroleum Administration for War was established in 1942 by the executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. With World War II already underway, it was critical to provide adequate supplies of petroleum to effectively support the war effort and to provide the petroleum products needed by Americans for other essential purposes. Military success depended on the ability to fuel planes, ships, tanks, and more.
The armed forces used more than 500 different petroleum-based fuels and lubricants. The B-29 Superfortress bomber alone used 20. It was thanks to the Petroleum Administration for War that dozens of new plants producing 100-octane fuel were constructed. The 100-octane gave American fighter pilots the edge over the Germans and the Japanese.
The Petroleum Administration for War concerned itself not just with production and distribution in the United States. The organization was also the focal point for ensuring adequate supplies of petroleum products from American companies operating abroad.
In 1946, following the end of the war, the Petroleum Administration for War disbanded.
See the C. Stribling Snodgrass papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more.