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POWELL, EUGENE D.
Vol. 5, p. 1826

For a young man of twenty-four years Eugene D. POWELL has covered a
good deal of ground. in the newspaper profession and is now editor
and manager of the Times at Altus. He was practically reared in the
trade and profession of printer and newspaper man, and consequently
knows all the ins and outs of the business, and since taking charge
of the Times has succeeded in giving it a considerable impetus to
increase circulation and influence.

The Powell family which he represents came originally from England
and was settled in Virginia during colonial days. Eugene D. Powell
was born at Wilton, Arkansas, July 2, 1891, a son of Rev. C. M. and
Georgia (WALDEN) Powell. His father, who was born at Mineral Springs,
Arkansas, in 1860, is now a resident of Bellevue, Texas. Rev. Mr.
Powell was educated in the common schools of his birthplace in
Arkansas and studied theology in the Southern Baptist Seminary in
Louisville, Kentucky. Since leaving the seminary he has been
continuously active in his profession as a Baptist minister, and his
duties brought him in 1901 to Stillwell in Indian Territory. From
there he moved to Afton in the territory in 1904, subsequently to
Eldorado, Oklahoma, and finally to his present place of residence at
Bellevue, Texas, where he is pastor of the Baptist Church. While
living at Wilton and also at Stillwell and Afton in Indian Territory
he edited the newspapers of those towns in addition to his regular
duties as a minister. He is a democrat in politics, and served on the
school board at Wilton and was mayor of Afton. His wife, who was born
in Arkansas in 1866, died in Winthrop in that state in 1900. She
became the mother of eight children: Ruth, wife of Charles GALLEGLY,
of Lockney, Texas; Verda, wife of C. R. CARR, in the lumber business
at Texarkana, Texas; Augusta, wife of A. C. SMITH, a salesman at
Erick, Oklahoma; Doyle, who is a graduate of the Afton High School
and also attended Baylor University at Waco, Texas and is now city
editor of the Altus Times; Eugene D.; Mary, who was married in 1911
to Louis T. TACKER, a salesman at Eldorado, Oklahoma; Maude and
Doris, both of whom are students in the Baptist College at Decatur,
Texas.

Eugene D. Powell received his early education in the public schools
at Wilton, Arkansas, and at Stillwell. Indian Territory, and was
graduated from Afton High school in 1905. Later in 1908 he took a
business course at the Oklahoma Baptist College in Blackwell.
Meantime, in 1900, when only nine years of age, he secured his first
instruction in printing and newspaper work under the direction of his
father, and from that age has seldom been long absent from a
newspaper or printing office. In 1911-1912 he was employed to conduct
a paper in Hale Center, Texas, and afterwards for one year was with
the Beacon-Times at Idabel, Oklahoma. On September 1, 1913, he came
to Altus and was associated with the Altus Times, and during 1915 was
editor and business manager of the paper. The Altus Times was
established in 1900, is a democratic organ, has a general circulation
throughout Jackson and surrounding counties, and lives up to the
reputation that Altus has for a live and hustling town and business
center. Mr. Powell is himself a democrat and is affiliated with Altus
Lodge No. 62, Free and Accepted Masons, with Altus Lodge No. 134,
Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and with Altus Lodge, Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks, No. 1226.

SOURCE: Thoburn, Joseph B., A Standard History of Oklahoma, An
Authentic Narrative of its Development, 5 v. (Chicago, New York: The
American Historical Society, 1916).

Transcribed for OKGenWeb by by Sharyn Baker, August 1999.