Industry Veteran Receives Congressional Patriot Award
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Longtime industry veteran William "Bill" Douglass, founder of Douglass Distributing Co. and the Lone Star Food Stores chain, received the Congressional Patriot Award, which recognizes men and women who give their time and talent to make their community a better place.
Honorees of the prestigious award are selected by a sitting member of Congress. The Congressional Patriot Award provides "meaningful recognition of the men and women who give selflessly of their time and talent to make their communities a better place for all."
Douglass is the first Grayson County, Texas, resident to receive this award.
[Read more: Lone Star Food Stores Receives Hometown Accolades]
Douglass was joined by family and friends for a special ceremony on Capitol Hill to receive his award on April 10. The award was presented by U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas).
A native of Pennsylvania, Douglass graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1958 as a Dean's List Scholar. He later joined the United States Marine Corps and Army, serving as a first lieutenant specializing in combat intelligence.
After his service to the country, Douglass began his career in the oil industry as part of ExxonMobil's sales team and quickly worked his way up to become one of the company's senior advisors. In the early 1980s, he left Exxon and purchased a petroleum distribution company in Sherman, now known as Douglass Distributing.
"If you drive through North Texas, you'll likely stop at one of the many stores owned by Bill," Fallon commented. … "I am proud of the work Bill has accomplished to innovate the next generation of convenience stores and improve the world around us. It is an honor to bestow Bill Douglass with the Patriot Award for his exceptional service to our nation and the people of North Texas."
For his exemplary work, Douglass' Lone Star brand won Convenience Store of the Year twice. He was also recognized as an Employer of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Workforce Commission.
In 2008, Douglass was inducted into the Convenience Store News Hall of Fame and served as NACS Chairman from 2004 to 2005.
Currently, he is the Chairman of the Texoma Medical Center's Board of Trustees and is a board member at Austin College, where he received an honorary Ph.D. for his contributions to the Sherman community.
Casey's General Stores Inc. acquired the 22 Lone Star locations from Douglass Distributing in 2023.