Odessa American
Encyclopedia
The Odessa American is a newspaper based in Odessa, Texas
, that serves Odessa as well as the rest of Ector County.
The newspaper has daily editions (for $0.75) and Sunday Editions (for $1.50).
The paper is particularly notable for its Pulitzer Prize
winning picture of Baby Jessica McClure
when she was rescued from her well in neighboring Midland, Texas
.
The American is owned by Freedom Communications
.
The "Weekly News" lasted only one year, and was followed by six other short-lived weekly publication until August 1927, when production of Odessa "Times" and Odessa "News" began. In October 1928, the two-weekly papers were merged as the Odessa "News Times."
The towns of Penwell and Goldsmith supported for a short time during oil boom of the 1930s, the only Ector County newspaper known to have been published outside Odessa.
The first daily newspaper, The "Daily Bulletin" began in 1936, the "New-Times" followed in 1937. On October 2, 1940 R. Henderson Shuffler consolidated the "Daily Bulletin" and was the "News-Times" into The Odessa American," which he sold on Aug. 11, 1945.
Ownership of the Newspaper changed twice before Aug. 13, 1948, when it was purchased by Raymond C. Hoiles of Freedom Newspapers Inc. V.L. Debolt was appointed publisher and has headed that position for 26 years.
The Odessa American has withstood brief competition from five newspapers since its first publication and has been published at this site since 1951.
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, that serves Odessa as well as the rest of Ector County.
The newspaper has daily editions (for $0.75) and Sunday Editions (for $1.50).
The paper is particularly notable for its Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning picture of Baby Jessica McClure
Jessica McClure
Jessica McClure Morales became famous at the age of 18 months after falling into a well in the backyard of 3309 Tanner Dr. Midland, Texas, on October 14, 1987. Between that day and October 16, rescuers worked for 58 hours to free "Baby Jessica" from the eight-inch-wide well casing below the ground...
when she was rescued from her well in neighboring Midland, Texas
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
.
The American is owned by Freedom Communications
Freedom Communications
Freedom Communications, Inc. is a media conglomerate in the United States. It owns approximately 100 daily and weekly newspapers in the US, with a combined daily circulation of nearly one million subscribers, and also operates over seventy local news websites...
.
History
In 1895, William C. "Uncle Billy" Griffin came to Odessa from Midland and began publishing Ector County's first newspaper the Odessa "Weekly News."The "Weekly News" lasted only one year, and was followed by six other short-lived weekly publication until August 1927, when production of Odessa "Times" and Odessa "News" began. In October 1928, the two-weekly papers were merged as the Odessa "News Times."
The towns of Penwell and Goldsmith supported for a short time during oil boom of the 1930s, the only Ector County newspaper known to have been published outside Odessa.
The first daily newspaper, The "Daily Bulletin" began in 1936, the "New-Times" followed in 1937. On October 2, 1940 R. Henderson Shuffler consolidated the "Daily Bulletin" and was the "News-Times" into The Odessa American," which he sold on Aug. 11, 1945.
Ownership of the Newspaper changed twice before Aug. 13, 1948, when it was purchased by Raymond C. Hoiles of Freedom Newspapers Inc. V.L. Debolt was appointed publisher and has headed that position for 26 years.
The Odessa American has withstood brief competition from five newspapers since its first publication and has been published at this site since 1951.