OKGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of OKGenWeb State Coordinator. Presentation here does not extend any permissions to the public. This material can not be included in any compilation, publication, collection, or other reproduction for profit without permission. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ===================================================================== EDGAR SAMUEL BRONSON Vol. 3, p. 952-953 For fifteen years Mr. Bronson has been identified with Oklahoma journalism, and has recently become of the proprietors of the El Reno American. Outside of his individual success in this field, he is well known for his active part in building up the Oklahoma Press Association, which now has a splendid membership and is rated as the most progressive press association in the United States. Edgar Samuel Bronson was born in Shelby County, Missouri, December 2, 1858, and has spent practically forty years in some phase or other of the newspaper and publishing business. He parents were William Norris and Mary Susan (HOLMES) Bronson, who were married in January 1858, at Newark, Knox County, Missouri. The father was educated at Syracuse, new York. The mother was a daughter of Samuel G. Holmes, a pioneer merchant of Missouri. Edgar S. Bronson was educated in private schools at Falmouth, Kentucky, to which place his parents removed in 1862. In 1876 he was graduated from the Pendleton Academy of Kentucky, and he had previously edited a school paper, and learned the mechanical details of printing on the Falmouth Pendletonian. He did his first reportorial work for the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Louisville Courier-Journal. In his earlier experience as a newspaper man Mr. Bronson was employed on a number of papers, chief among which were the Times-Union of Jacksonville, Florida, the Times at Macon, Missouri, the Press of Ottumwa, Iowa and from 1884 to 1895 on the Democrat at Kirksville, Missouri. In 1895 Mr. Bronson bought a half interest in the Trenton, Missouri, Morning Tribune, his co-partner being C.D. MORRIS, now proprietor of the St. Joseph, Missouri, Gazette. In 1898 he sold his interest in the Trenton Tribune to Mr. Morris and in 1900 cane to Oklahoma City as a staff man for the Kansas City Times. Two years later in 1902, he and N. A. NICHOLS established the Thomas Tribune at Thomas, Oklahoma. He not only helped to build up and publish a first-class newspaper, but was active in the general material and civic progress of Thomas, and that is a town whose early history can never be told without some reference to this enterprising newspaper man. In 1914, after selling the Tribune to M. C. TRAUTWEIN, Mr. Bronson left Thomas and on July 1, 1914, with his old partner N. A. Nichols bought the El Reno American. In 1907, Mr. Bronson was made secretary-treasurer of the Oklahoma Press Association at the McAlester meeting. He became a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Trenton, Missouri, in August, 1902, and he and Mr. Nichols were the chief movers in establishing the lodge of that order at Trenton. Politically Mr. Bronson has always voted and exercised his influence in behalf of the democratic party. He is unmarried. Typed for OKGenWeb by: Vickie Neill Taylor, January 11, 1999.