Jack Zink

John Smith "Jack" Zink (October 28, 1928 – February 5, 2005) was an American engineer who received 35 patents for his inventions in the field of combustion, and was also known for his achievements and contributions in business, auto racing and charitable enterprises.

Zink was the son of John Steele Zink and Swannie Estelle Smith Zink. He was born and grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was educated at Oklahoma State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1951. He died in Tulsa on February 5, 2005. Jack was survived by his wife, Jan, three sons, three stepchildren and a sister. A fourth son, Colin, died in 1993.

After graduation, he joined the John Zink Company, which his father had founded in 1929. By then, the company had specialized in manufacturing burners, flares, and incinerators for the petroleum and related industries. Jack received 35 patents for his inventions of combustion equipment. He continued to run the company from 1962 until 1979, when it was bought by Sunbeam Corporation. After his father's company was sold, Jack founded Zinco, Incorporated, later renamed Zeeco, Incorporated. Zeeco's headquarters are in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and the company manufactures in the United States and other global locations.Jack passed control of Zeeco over to his son Darton Zink in 2000. The University of Tulsa recognized him in 2001 as that year's Outstanding Business Leader. Jack also served on the boards of directors for several nationally known corporations, including Telex and Sunbeam.

Jack Zink was a sports enthusiast, and became especially identified with auto racing. He became involved not only in driving his own race car, but in design and construction of the vehicles. He first sponsored a race car in the 1952 Indianapolis 500 race, and continued to enter a car in each race until 1967. His entries won the races in 1955 and 1956. In 1957, he set a stock-auto speed record at Daytona Beach. He drove his own cars in desert off-road races from 1972 through 1980. He was inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1984.

Jack Zink became chairman of the John Zink Foundation, which his father, John Steele Zink, had founded. The foundation owned the John Zink ranch in Osage County, Oklahoma. Jack's father had started the working ranch many years before, but Jack had expanded it to 31,000 acres (13,000 ha). He also converted it to a private game preserve and recreation area. It also contains campgrounds for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The Boy Scouts of America awarded him the Silver Beaver Award and Silver Buffalo Award.

He was a frequent volunteer for the Tulsa Area United Way and became an honorary life member of United Way. In 1988, he served as chairman of the Tulsa organization and was credited with raising $12.5 million in contributions. He also received the Volunteers of America's Premier Award and the National Jewish Humanitarian Award.

Zink was also interested in politics. His obituary in the Tulsa World called him, "a well-known Republican (party) operative." He ran for election as a Republican Party candidate for the United States Senate in 1980, but lost the nomination to Don Nickles, who went on to win the general election.

He died in Tulsa on February 5, 2005.