the Cailloux Foundation

In the 1930’s and 1940’s, Floyd Cailloux was Senior Vice President of American Iron & Machine Works in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company was owned by his father John F. Cailloux Sr. After his father sold the company Floyd became President and owner of C&W Machine Works of Great Bend and Liberal, Kansas.

During World War II, Floyd served in the United States Army as a Master Sergeant under General Oveta Culp Hobby.  Near the end of the war he was stationed on a hospital ship in the Sea of Japan.  The mission of the ship was to pick up downed pilots and to prepare for the invasion of Japan.

In the 1950’s Floyd founded Semco also known as Systems Engineering & Manufacturing Company.  Semco was a pneumatic conveying equipment manufacturer that became a leader in this industry.

In 1968 Floyd bought a controlling interest in Keystone Valve Corporation. The holding company name was changed to Keystone International. Mr. Cailloux was cofounder of Keystone International (KII) and was instrumental in the company becoming a world leader in the manufacturing and marketing of industrial butterfly valves and other valve types for general industry under the Keystone brand. For 29 years, Floyd and Kathleen were major stockholders in Keystone International which had 5,000 employees with manufacturing plants and sales offices around the world. Keytsone International manufactured valves and actuators under various brand names such as Keystone, Anderson Greenwood, Yarway, Valvtron, Prince, Vanessa, and Morin.  Keystone owned SEMCO until 1985 and Koenig, INC which made truck bodies and toolboxes until 1983.  Shortly after Mr. Cailloux’s death in 1997 the company was sold to a conglomerate.

Kathleen’s family was in the newspaper business.  Her grandfather, Tom Cox was a publisher for an Oklahoma City newspaper.  Kathleen’s father, Paul L. Cox worked for his father.  During the depression Paul Cox moved his family to Houston where he worked for the Houston Press Newspaper as advertising manager until his death in 1945.

Kathleen was a Forsythe on her mother’s side.  One of her first cousins was the actor Henderson Forsythe who starred on stage and screen as well as in the role of Dr. David Stewart in the television soap opera “As the World Turns” for 32 year.

Floyd and Kathleen were married for 55 years and had three children; Paula, Patrick and Kenneth.  Patrick passed away in 1948.  Paula and Kenneth along with their family members as well as several friends now serve on the Foundation’s board.

Floyd A. and Kathleen C. Cailloux created The Cailloux Foundation in 1994.  Kathleen gave to many charities in fer lifetime.  In Kerrville, she gave funds to build a new humane society facility, to remodel the Kerrville Municipal Auditorium (which now bares her name), and the new business school and activity center at Schreiner University.  She also helped in funding the new Gladney Center for Adoption in Fort Worth, Texas and genetic cancer research at M.D. Anderson in Houston.  Kathleen died in 2007 at the age of 92 in Kerrville.  The Foundation’s mission is to perpetuate the vision of Floyd A. and Kathleen C. Cailloux.