Many things can be used to measure the success of a man&8217;s life.

Often our materialistic society looks only at the amount of wealth a person obtains in his life as the sole measurement.

Looking at only the business success of John S. Callon, who died Saturday at age 86, would be seeing only a fraction of the true man.

Callon&8217;s business success is well known. An oil and gas industry pioneer, Callon began his career in 1950, eventually building a $350 million, publicly traded corporation that is known around the globe.

By the traditional corporate world&8217;s measure of success, Callon is certainly among the top tier.

Callon, however, is more than just the founder of Callon Petroleum; he was a citizen of Natchez who loved his hometown. His mark in this community will long be remembered.

He could have easily moved his corporation to a larger city, but he wouldn&8217;t hear of it. Natchez would always be his home and the home of his business, too.

Callon and his wife, Betty, saw the importance of preserving Natchez&8217;s history and helped preserve antebellum Melrose.

The estate was eventually transformed into a key part of the Natchez National Historical Park, one of the jewels of Natchez.

In addition, Callon was instrumental in forming the Krewe of Phoenix Mardi Gras organization in Natchez during the 1980s. More recently, he was involved with Alcorn State University&8217;s plan to bring a digital technology park to Natchez.

Callon was a man who worked hard to improve the community in which he lived. His love of Natchez is evident in all the things he helped create here. His involvement and passion for community will be sorely missed.