Source:
Who's Who & Why
c.1908
Page 27

      Mr. Covert has been a resident of Evansville since boyhood. He received his education in the local public schools. Then he learned the trade of printer and became a compositor on the old Evansville Journal, where he remained several years, until called to take the city editorship of the Evansville Tribune, an evening paper which his father founded many years before. His newspaper work brought him in close touch with local politics, and it was not long until Mr. Covert was taking an active part in shaping the destiny of the Republican party of Vanderburgh County. A few years later Mr. Covert retired from the Tribune, where he had become managing editor, to take the office of Sheriff of the county, having been nominated and elected during the fall of 1893. In 1896 he was re-elected to the office by a plurality of 2,000 votes. In the same election President McKinley carried the county by less than 1,000 votes. In 1899 Mr. Covert was nominated by the Republicans for Mayor of Evansville, but he failed of election by the narrow margin of 52 votes. In the spring of 1901 he was again chosen by the Republicans to be their standard bearer, and was elected by a majority of 88 votes. He served as chief executive of the city for nearly five years, retiring January 1, 1906, and a few months later received the appointment of Postmaster, which appointment he still holds. Mr. Covert is a man of marked ability and is conceded to be one of the cleverest politicians in Evansville. He is true to those whom he regards as friends and personally he is well liked. He is most companionable, as people in all walks of life will testify. Mr. Covert stands for the upbuilding of Evansville, and is interested in a number of enterprises. He is a director of the Mercantile Trust & Savings Co. He is a member of the Masons, Knights of Pythias, Elks, Red Men, Royal Arcanum, the Buffaloes, Foresters and two or three others.