TRANSCRIBED BY : TINA EASLEY
CALVIN WHITE WAS BORN IN LOANOKE COUNTY ARKANSAS , JUNE 6 , 1893 , IN THE HOME OF HIS FATHER , A METHODIST MINISTER . HE WAS ATTRACTED TO THE NEWSPAPER AND PRINTING BUSINESS AT A VERY EARLY AGE. HE LIVED IN THE TERRITORY OF OKLAHOMA BEFORE IT WAS ADMITTED TO THE UNION AS A STATE. HERE HE SOLD NEWSPAPERS FOR HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE.
HE STARTED IN THE PRINTING BUSINESS AT THE AGE OF 17. THIS BUSINESS USED OLD -FASHIONED MACHINERY , A PRESS THAT WAS USED DURING THE CIVIL WAR AND THIS WAS 1910 ! UNFORTUNATLEY THE EDITOR OF THE PAPER HE WORKED FOR DIED AND LEFT THE TOWN WITHOUT A NEWSPAPER . ON THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE TOWNSPEOPLE , MR. WHITE'S FATHER AGREED TO EDIT THE PAPER THAT SERVED 1000 SUBSCRIBERS . SO MR. WHITE WENT TO WORK EVEN HARDER. ALTHOUGH HE CONTINUED GOING TO SCHOOL HE WORKED ON THE PAPER THAT HAD TO BE PRINTED ONE PAGE AT A TIME , TAKING 6 TO 8 HOURS TO COMPLETE ONE EDITION , AFTER SCHOOL HOURS.
THEN CAME HIS OWN NEWSPAPER AT AGE 19 . IT WAS A WEEKLEY EDITION IN BOSWELL , OKLAHOMA . IN THIS TOWN HE MET THE GIRL THAT BECAME MRS. WHITE AND TOGETHER THEY MOVED TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT TOWNS IN OKLAHOMA DURING THE NEXT DECADE.
IN 1930 MR. WHITE ACCEPTED A POSITION IN FAYETTEVILLE WHERE HE DID ALL OF THE PRINTING FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS. THE NEXT MOVE BROUGHT THE WHITE FAMILY TO JONESBORO WHERE HE WAS WITH THE JOURNALISM DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS STATE COLLEGE.
PARAGOULD BECAME THE HOME OF HIM AND HIS FAMILY EARLY IN 1946 WHEN THEY ACQUIRED THE ROONEY PRINTING COMPANY THAT WAS LOCATED NEXT TO THE CORNER CAFE , BUSINESS GREW AND THE FIRM MOVED TO ITS PRESENT LOCATION ON WEST EMERSON WHERE IT CONTINUES TO SERVE THE MANY CUSTOMERS OF NORTH EAST ARKANSAS , INCLUDING TECH HIGH EAGLE.