Waite Phillips (1883—1964) was the younger brother of L.E. Phillips and Frank Phillips , who founded Phillips Petroleum. Waite had a twin brother, Wiate, who did fairly young. Waite would use his oil rights to form the Waite Phillips Petroleum Co, but mainly got involved in real estate and banking.

In Tulsa, he build several office complexs, such as the Philtower and Philcade, as well as his mansion Philbrook. He would later donated his mansion as the art museum Philbrook Museum.

Interested in ranching, and in having a ranch with recreational activities, he started to purchase land in northern New Mexico near Cimmarron, which he named Philmont, and built a mansion there called Villa Philmonte. A restless soul, he would later donate most of the ranch to the Boy Scouts of America to found Philmont Scout Ranch.