Bill O'Neal
Encyclopedia
John William O'Neal, known as Bill O'Neal (born April 8, 1942), is an American
author who has written some thirty books and more than three hundred articles and book reviews on the American West, including gunfighters, lawmen, and ghost towns; Country music
, with emphasis on Texas
artists; baseball
, such as his study of the Texas League
, and children's books, including one on the first Thanksgiving held in Texas.
In 2003 O'Neal retired as a history professor
at Panola College
, a junior college
in Carthage
, the seat of Panola County
in East Texas
, located southwest of Shreveport
, Louisiana
. However, he continues to teach at Panola College periodically and maintains his prolific writing career. A member of the Western Writers of America
, he has appeared in television
documentaries
on Turner Network Television
, The History Channel
, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Discovery Channel
, Turner Broadcasting System
, and the Arts and Entertainment Channel
.
, the seat of Navarro County in east central Texas to William Causby "Bud" O'Neal (1915–1991), a 1939 B.S. graduate of Texas A&M University
, and the former Jessie Standard (1918–2002), originally from Lampasas
, Texas. O'Neal's maternal great-grandfather drove cattle
on the Chisholm Trail
; his grandmother, Janie Lucile Standard, came to Texas in 1881 in a covered wagon
. Bud and Jessie married on April 9, 1940, and owned a farm
retail store in Corsicana. O'Neal has a younger sister, Judy O'Neal Smith (born March 20, 1944), and a brother, Michael Ross "Mike" O'Neal (born June 25, 1952) of Carrollton
near Dallas
.
In 1960, O'Neal graduated from Corsicana High School. He thereafter enrolled at, first, Navarro College
in Corsicana and then Texas A&M University-Commerce, then known as East Texas State University in Commerce
, a city in Hunt County
. He received his bachelor's
and master's
degrees from A&M-Commerce in 1964 and 1969, respectively. O'Neal served as athletic director and head football coach at Anna High School (1967–1968) and at Waskom High School (1968–1970). He first married the former Kathryn Berry of Dallas
. After their divorce
, O'Neal married Faye Gipson of Garrison
. Faye remarried after their divorce and is now Faye G. Frasier of Corpus Christi
. Bill and Faye had four daughters: Lynn O. Martinez (born 1972 and married to Rudy Martinez) of Mansfield
, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex; Lynn's twin sister, Dr. Shellie O'Neal, (born 1972), a theatre
professor at Navarro College; Dr. Berri O. Gormley, (born 1975 and married to Drew Gormley) of Irving
, Texas, Executive Director, Universities Center at Dallas (www.ucddowntown.org) and adjunct professor, Texas A&M University-Commerce, and Causby Lea Henderson (born 1980 and married to Dusty Lee Henderson) of Allen
, located north of Dallas. O'Neal's third wife is the former Karon Ashby (born December 23, 1960), the head of the Panola College mathematics
department.
personnel. In 1973, O'Neal wrote Panola Junior College: The First Twenty-Five Years. He did an updated version Panola College, 1947-1997 for the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the institution.
In addition to his books, many of which have gained popularity beyond historical circles, O'Neal has written hundreds of scholarly articles and book reviews. He lectures before historical associations and related public gatherings. From 1991-1992, he was president of the Nacogdoches
-based East Texas Historical Association
. On April 5, 2008, O'Neal addressed the West Texas Historical Association
annual meeting at West Texas A&M University
in Canyon
with a well-received lecture on how Texans, such as Gene Autry
, Jim Reeves
, Tex Ritter
, and Bob Wills
, have numerically dominated the field of Country music. Moreover, the state has produced artists in other fields of music too: Mary Martin
, Janis Joplin
, Buddy Holly
, and Van Cliburn
.
He addressed the WTHA again in 2010, with a report on the depiction of Texas Rangers
in film and on television. He found that nearly all western actors except for Randolph Scott
played a Texas Ranger character at least once in his acting career. In that presentation, O'Neal noted that the Sons of the Pioneers
appeared in 101 films, some with Texas Rangers characters. The character "Lassiter" in Zane Grey
's Riders of the Purple Sage
is a former Ranger; so is Woodrow Call of Larry McMurtry
's Lonesome Dove
. John Wayne appeared as a current for former Ranger in three films, The Searchers
, The Comancheros
, and True Grit, with Glen Campbell
in the role of the Ranger from Waco
.
O'Neal is a member of the Panola County Chamber of Commerce
and serves on the executive board of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame
, whose inductees include Reeves and Ritter, the latter the subject of an O'Neal book.
O'Neal has also been active as a part-time radio personality
on KGAS-AM
and KGAS-FM
in Carthage for more than three decade
s. His interest in radio began with the popular songs of the 1950s and 1960s.
O'Neal has been cited for his "meticulous research" by the Western Historical Quarterly, published by Utah State University
at Logan
.
In 2005, O'Neal received the National Association of Outlaw and Lawmen Association (NOLA) award for his The Johnson County War, a study of the 1892 struggle between small farmers and wealthy ranchers in Johnson County in northern Wyoming
. See Johnson County War
.
In 2007, he was named the "Best Living Non-Fiction Writer" by True West Magazine
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author who has written some thirty books and more than three hundred articles and book reviews on the American West, including gunfighters, lawmen, and ghost towns; Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, with emphasis on Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
artists; baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, such as his study of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
, and children's books, including one on the first Thanksgiving held in Texas.
In 2003 O'Neal retired as a history professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Panola College
Panola College
Panola College is a community college located in Carthage, Texas. The name derives from Panola County, Texas, of which Carthage is the county seat.As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of Panola College is the following:...
, a junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
in Carthage
Carthage, Texas
Carthage is a city in Panola County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Panola County, and is situated in East Texas near the Louisiana state line.-Geography:...
, the seat of Panola County
Panola County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,756 people, 8,821 households, and 6,395 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 10,524 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
in East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
, located southwest of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. However, he continues to teach at Panola College periodically and maintains his prolific writing career. A member of the Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America, founded 1953, promotes literature, both fiction and non-fiction, pertaining to the American West. Although its founders wrote traditional western fiction, the more than five hundred current members also include historians and other non-fiction writers as well as authors...
, he has appeared in television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
on Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
, The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
, and the Arts and Entertainment Channel
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
.
Early years, education, family
O'Neal was born in CorsicanaCorsicana, Texas
Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown Dallas. The population was 24,485 at the 2000 census...
, the seat of Navarro County in east central Texas to William Causby "Bud" O'Neal (1915–1991), a 1939 B.S. graduate of Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, and the former Jessie Standard (1918–2002), originally from Lampasas
Lampasas, Texas
Lampasas is a city in Lampasas County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,786 at the 2000 census. It is the seat of Lampasas County.Lampasas is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Texas. O'Neal's maternal great-grandfather drove cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
on the Chisholm Trail
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the late 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The portion of the trail marked by Jesse Chisholm went from his southern trading post near the Red River, to his northern trading post near Kansas City, Kansas...
; his grandmother, Janie Lucile Standard, came to Texas in 1881 in a covered wagon
Covered wagon
The covered wagon, also known as a Prairie schooner, is an icon of the American Old West.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteenth century thousands of Americans took them across the Great Plains to Oregon and California...
. Bud and Jessie married on April 9, 1940, and owned a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
retail store in Corsicana. O'Neal has a younger sister, Judy O'Neal Smith (born March 20, 1944), and a brother, Michael Ross "Mike" O'Neal (born June 25, 1952) of Carrollton
Carrollton, Texas
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....
near Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
In 1960, O'Neal graduated from Corsicana High School. He thereafter enrolled at, first, Navarro College
Navarro College
Navarro College is a two-year public institution consisting of a main campus located in Corsicana, with branches in Mexia, Midlothian, and Waxahachie, Texas...
in Corsicana and then Texas A&M University-Commerce, then known as East Texas State University in Commerce
Commerce, Texas
Commerce is a city in Hunt County, Texas, United States, located in rural East Texas. The population was 7,669 at the 2000 census, however recent growth and its proximity to Interstate 30 and the eastern Metroplex has put the population around 9750...
, a city in Hunt County
Hunt County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 76,596 people, 28,742 households, and 20,521 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 32,490 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
. He received his bachelor's
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and master's
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degrees from A&M-Commerce in 1964 and 1969, respectively. O'Neal served as athletic director and head football coach at Anna High School (1967–1968) and at Waskom High School (1968–1970). He first married the former Kathryn Berry of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. After their divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, O'Neal married Faye Gipson of Garrison
Garrison, Texas
Garrison is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The population was 895 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Garrison is located at ....
. Faye remarried after their divorce and is now Faye G. Frasier of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. Bill and Faye had four daughters: Lynn O. Martinez (born 1972 and married to Rudy Martinez) of Mansfield
Mansfield, Texas
Mansfield is a city in Ellis, Johnson, and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 56,368.In 2009, CNN/Money Magazine rated Mansfield as one of the "Best Places to Live" in the United States, ranking 24th out of the top 100 places.-History:The first...
, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex; Lynn's twin sister, Dr. Shellie O'Neal, (born 1972), a theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
professor at Navarro College; Dr. Berri O. Gormley, (born 1975 and married to Drew Gormley) of Irving
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, Texas, Executive Director, Universities Center at Dallas (www.ucddowntown.org) and adjunct professor, Texas A&M University-Commerce, and Causby Lea Henderson (born 1980 and married to Dusty Lee Henderson) of Allen
Allen, Texas
Allen is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States, a northern suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 census the city had a total population of 84,246.-Geography:According to the City of Allen, the city has a total area of...
, located north of Dallas. O'Neal's third wife is the former Karon Ashby (born December 23, 1960), the head of the Panola College mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
department.
Panola College, radio, civic affairs
In 1968-1969, O'Neal taught as a graduate assistant in the History Department at East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas. In 1970, he became a full-time faculty member at Panola College, a position that he held for thirty-three years. During his teaching career, O'Neal often dressed in the clothing which might have been worn by various historical characters. He attempted to convince students of the value of history in their daily lives and the unique information available through historical research. He also created a "Traveling Texas" history course. Panola College was founded in 1947 to offer educational opportunities, primarily, to returning World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
personnel. In 1973, O'Neal wrote Panola Junior College: The First Twenty-Five Years. He did an updated version Panola College, 1947-1997 for the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the institution.
In addition to his books, many of which have gained popularity beyond historical circles, O'Neal has written hundreds of scholarly articles and book reviews. He lectures before historical associations and related public gatherings. From 1991-1992, he was president of the Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
-based East Texas Historical Association
East Texas Historical Association
The East Texas Historical Association is an organization of professional historians and interested laypersons dedicated to the preservation of the overall history of East Texas, generally defined as that portion of the state east of Interstate 35. The association was founded in 1962 after a long...
. On April 5, 2008, O'Neal addressed the West Texas Historical Association
West Texas Historical Association
The West Texas Historical Association is an organization of both academics and laypersons dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the total history of West Texas, defined geographically as all Texas counties and portions of counties located west of Interstate 35.-Formation of the...
annual meeting at West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910...
in Canyon
Canyon, Texas
Canyon is a city in Randall County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,875 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randall County. It is the home of West Texas A&M University and Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is some twelve miles east of Canyon...
with a well-received lecture on how Texans, such as Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, Jim Reeves
Jim Reeves
James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound...
, Tex Ritter
Tex Ritter
Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...
, and Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
, have numerically dominated the field of Country music. Moreover, the state has produced artists in other fields of music too: Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
, Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
, and Van Cliburn
Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War....
.
He addressed the WTHA again in 2010, with a report on the depiction of Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
in film and on television. He found that nearly all western actors except for Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott was an American film actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of genres, including social dramas, crime dramas, comedies, musicals , adventure tales, war films, and even a few...
played a Texas Ranger character at least once in his acting career. In that presentation, O'Neal noted that the Sons of the Pioneers
Sons of the Pioneers
The Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...
appeared in 101 films, some with Texas Rangers characters. The character "Lassiter" in Zane Grey
Zane Grey
Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the Old West. Riders of the Purple Sage was his bestselling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, they later had second lives and continuing influence...
's Riders of the Purple Sage
Riders of the Purple Sage
Riders of the Purple Sage is Zane Grey's best-known novel, originally published in 1912. Most critics agree that it played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre.- Plot in a paragraph :...
is a former Ranger; so is Woodrow Call of Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry
Larry Jeff McMurtry is an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work is predominantly set in either the old West or in contemporary Texas...
's Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize–winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. It is the first published book of the Lonesome Dove series, but the third installment in the series chronologically...
. John Wayne appeared as a current for former Ranger in three films, The Searchers
The Searchers (film)
The Searchers is a 1956 American Western film directed by John Ford, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, and set during the Texas–Indian Wars...
, The Comancheros
The Comancheros
The Comancheros is a 1961 western Deluxe CinemaScope color film directed by Michael Curtiz and John Wayne based on a 1952 novel by Paul Wellman starring John Wayne and Stuart Whitman. When health troubles prevented Curtiz from finishing the film, Wayne directed the remainder of the movie, though...
, and True Grit, with Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
in the role of the Ranger from Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
.
O'Neal is a member of the Panola County Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and serves on the executive board of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame
Texas Country Music Hall of Fame
The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame/Tex Ritter Museum, located in Carthage in Panola County in East Texas honors those who have made outstanding contributions to country music and were born in the state of Texas. This includes singers, songwriters, disc jockeys and others.A museum, a large...
, whose inductees include Reeves and Ritter, the latter the subject of an O'Neal book.
O'Neal has also been active as a part-time radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
on KGAS-AM
KGAS (AM)
KGAS is a radio station that broadcasts an ESPN Sports Radio format with local news, weather, and sports. Licensed to Carthage, Texas, USA, the station serves the East Texas area. It first began broadcasting in 1955. The station is currently owned by Jerry T. Hanszen.- References :*. KGAS Radio....
and KGAS-FM
KGAS-FM
KGAS-FM is a radio station that broadcasts a Country music format. Licensed to Carthage, Texas, USA, the station serves the East Texas area. It first began FM broadcasting in 1991. The station is currently owned by Wanda Hanszen and Jerry Hanszen.- References :*. Retrieved on 2008-05-14....
in Carthage for more than three decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
s. His interest in radio began with the popular songs of the 1950s and 1960s.
Awards
In 1973, O'Neal received the first annual "Excellent Teacher" award at Panola College. In 1987, he was named "Alumnus of the Year" by both Navarro College and Texas A&M University-Commerce. He was "Panola County Citizen of the Year" in 1988. In 2000, he was awarded Minnie Stevens Piper Professorship, and he remains the only Panola College faculty member to ever receive a Piper Professorship.O'Neal has been cited for his "meticulous research" by the Western Historical Quarterly, published by Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
at Logan
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
.
In 2005, O'Neal received the National Association of Outlaw and Lawmen Association (NOLA) award for his The Johnson County War, a study of the 1892 struggle between small farmers and wealthy ranchers in Johnson County in northern Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. See Johnson County War
Johnson County War
The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River, was a range war which took place in April 1892 in Johnson County, Natrona County and Converse County in the U.S. state of Wyoming...
.
In 2007, he was named the "Best Living Non-Fiction Writer" by True West Magazine
True West Magazine
True West Magazine is an American magazine that contains glossy articles and covers; reporting about events that happened in the "Old West" era.-History:True West began publication in 1953...
.
Western titles
- Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters (1991)
- Henry Brown, the Outlaw-Marshal (The Early West); published 1980; see Henry Newton Brown
- Arizona Rangers (1988)
- Cattlemen v. Sheepherders: Five Decades of Violence in the West, 1880-1920 (1989)
- "Fighting Men of the Indian Wars (1991)
- Legends of the Wild West (1995); co-authors Dale Crutchfield and Dale L. Walker
- Ghost Towns of the American West (1995)
- Best of the West (1997)
- Historic Ranches of the Old West (1997)
- The Bloody Legacy of Pink Higgins: A Half Century of Violence in Texas (1999)
- Great Gunfighters of the Wild West: Twenty Courageous Westerners Who Struggled With Right and Wrong, Good and Evil, Law and Order (2001)
- The Wild West (2002)
- Harry Wheeler, Arizona Lawman (2003), not to be confused with Harry WheelerHarry WheelerHarry Eugene Wheeler was an American 19th century Major League Baseball player from Versailles, Indiana. A well travelled player, he played for eight different teams in three different leagues during his six seasons.-Career:...
, the baseball player - The Johnson County War (2004)
- Cheyenne, 1867-1903': A Biography of the Magic City of the Plains (2006)
- Brick Book Best of the West (2007)
- Border Queen Caldwell, Toughest Town on the Chisolm Trail (2008)
Baseball titles
- The Texas League 1888-1987: A Century of Baseball (1987)
- The American Association: A Baseball History, 1902-1991 (1992); see American AssociationAmerican Association (20th century)The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
. - The International League: A Baseball History, 1884-1992 (1992); see International LeagueInternational LeagueThe International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
- The Pacific Coast League, 1903-1888 (1990); see Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast LeagueThe Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. - The Southern League, 1885-1994 (1994); see Southern LeagueSouthern League (baseball)The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
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Children's books
- Great Gunfighters of the Wild West
- The First Thanksgiving - It Happened in Texas (2000)
- Doris Miller, Hero of Pearl Harbor (2007); see Doris MillerDoris MillerDoris "Dorie" Miller was a cook in the United States Navy noted for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the third highest honor awarded by the U.S...
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Other titles
- Tex Ritter: America's Most Beloved Cowboy, Austin: Eakin Press, 1998
- Reel Cowboys (2000)
- The Sons of the Pioneers (2001), co-author Fred Goodwin; see Sons of the PioneersSons of the PioneersThe Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...
- Sam Houston Slept Here: Guide to the Homes of Texas' Chief Executives (2004)
- Regulator-Moderator War
- Reel Rangers': Texas Rangers in Movies, TV, Radio, and Other Forms of Popular Culture