# Vernon Roscoe — Oil! character guide > Vernon Roscoe in Oil! by Upton Sinclair. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Mr. Roscoe, Vernon Roscoe Bldg., Verne, Vernon, Ross, Mr. Vernon Roscoe **First appearance:** 0001-oil ## Who they are The smooth, ruthless face of organized oil capital, who talks compromise while running blacklists and framing organizers with a smile. ## In the story ### [IX: The Victory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ix-the-victory) Receives ten millions in bonds and stock for his properties in the Ross Consolidated deal. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv) Dad opens merger negotiations with him; he is the biggest independent oil operator on the coast. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vii) Partner with Dad Ross in the new enterprise, receiving equal shares of bonds and stock for his properties. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ix) Mr. Roscoe is praised as a financial wizard for his role in launching Ross Consolidated and devising the no-par-value stock scheme. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/v) Partner with Dad in oil dealings during the market boom. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/viii) Mentioned as raising hell about oil contracts at Baku and advocating for a practical president. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ix) Bunny studies confidential reports from Vernon Roscoe's foreign agents. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv) Mentioned by Paul as an oil man involved in concessions in Saghalien, linking him to the imperialist forces. ### [XII: The Siren](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xii-the-siren) Visits Paradise during a heatwave; proposes a plan to buy the Republican convention to nominate Senator Harding; jokes about Bunny's Bolshevik reputation. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ii) Visits Paradise in extreme heat, displays boisterous and crude behavior, jokes about Bunny's radical reputation. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii) Visits the Ross home to discuss a corrupt plan to obtain oil from a government reserve by influencing the Harding administration. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv) The great man, full of good cheer and advice, urges Bunny to enjoy life and find a girl, showing a big heart. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/v) Mentioned as Dad's partner in the political deal, representing the larger forces at play. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vi) Manages the nomination of Warren G. Harding at the Republican convention through backroom deals. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xi) Vernon Roscoe is in a rage with banker Mark Eisenberg and conspires with Dad Ross to protect their properties. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii) Invites Bunny to his country estate, the Monastery, and is referred to as 'Papa' by Annabelle Ames. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv) Oil magnate and Annabelle's lover; henpecked by her, boasts about the cost of making her a star. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/v) The host, talking politics with Fred Orpan. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/viii) Subject of a humorous story about shooting off his toe to fund a well; laughs along with the company. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii) Mentioned as one of the voices echoing 'Why not?' in Bunny's mind. ### [XV: The Vacation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xv-the-vacation) Dismisses Bunny's concerns about the wage scale, boasts of buying labor leaders and politicians, and warns Bunny about his Bolshevik friends. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/i) Helps select the candidate and manage the propaganda; gets drunk after the victory. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ii) Quoted saying 'They can have their pie in the sky, so long as they let me have the oil,' revealing cynical use of religion. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii) Defends the wage cut, boasts of buying power, and threatens labor activists with prison. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv) Manipulates Bunny by appealing to his guilt over his father's health and the strike. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/v) Mentioned as an example of someone who travels openly with his mistress, Annabelle Ames. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vii) Involved in the lease scheme; Dad considers him a straight and trusted business partner. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/viii) Implied to be behind Paul's arrest as part of a scheme to break up the 'nest of Bolshevism'. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv) The 'old petroleum pachyderm' who controls the oil industry and seeks to suppress union organizing. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/v) Vee values her intimacy with Verne for business connections and social standing, which conflicts with Bunny's activities. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/viii) Vernon Roscoe is implicated in the naval oil lease scheme, with Dan Irving suspecting him of corruption. He leaves for Washington to handle the leases. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/x) Referenced as 'Mid-Central Pete' who defrauded Carberry of his homestead; the target of Dan Irving's investigation in Washington. ### [XVII: The Exposure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xvii-the-exposure) Returns from Washington and uses his influence to have the syndicalism cases dropped. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ii) Returns from Washington and uses his influence to have the criminal syndicalism cases dropped. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii) Referenced as the embodiment of capitalist power, controlling courts, media, and government through bribery. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vi) Told to go to hell by a blackmailing publisher; forced to pay a million dollars to stop exposés. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vii) Hosts the dinner; denounces 'insurgent' senators and is involved in the political discussions. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/x) Referenced as an obstacle to Bunny running the oil industry as he would wish. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xi) Mentioned as having foretold Bunny's remorse over Dad's illness. ### [XVIII: The Flight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xviii-the-flight) In London, confident about the investigation, pursuing new oil deals in Romania and Persia. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/i) Handling the blackmail troubles that Dad has left aside since his illness. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii) Hurries to Washington to try to stop the investigation with last-minute cash expenditures. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv) Sends coded telegrams and has skipped to Europe to avoid capture. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/v) Sends wireless messages requesting Dad to meet him in London. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vi) Confident and defiant, he dismisses the Senate investigation, boasts of new oil ventures in Romania and Persia, and exerts control over U.S. foreign policy. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vii) Predicts the collapse of the oil investigation; refers to the President as 'the little hop-toad.' ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iii) Sends letters about legal troubles with the oil lands; involved in diplomatic wire-pulling with Verne in Washington. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ix) Holds the signed stock certificates and sends a playful cable about the oil fire. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/x) Referenced as having predicted Bunny's remorse over his father. ### [XX: The Dedication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xx-the-dedication) Mentioned as likely to try to keep Bunny lean; Dan Irving's press has been exposing Roscoe's foreign concessions. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/i) Mentioned as someone who will try to keep Bunny lean; subject of Dan's exposés about foreign concessions. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/ii) Vernon Roscoe, Dad's partner, informs Bunny of the company's bankruptcy and the insurance companies' refusal to pay due to suspected arson, and offers Bunny control of the Paradise field. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv) Implied to have stolen over ten million dollars in securities from Dad's estate, using his business acumen to cover his tracks and avoid legal consequences. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/vii) Manipulates the estate's finances, buying up stock and leases through questionable means. ### [XXI: The Honeymoon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xxi-the-honeymoon) His reports on the Prospect Hill field are suspected by Bertie of being a trick. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/iv) Reported that more than half the wells were off production; Bertie suspects him of robbing the estate. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/viii) Mentioned as one of the oil men whose money funded the anti-LaFollette campaign. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/chapters/xii) Mentioned as having been drunk at the Admiralty Hotel. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/characters/vernon_roscoe - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oil_se/characters