Young County, TX - History - Olney Chamber of Commerce in 1925 ************************************************************************************* This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************************* Olney Chamber of Commerce Organizes in 1925 In 1925, a little group of professional men of Olney met in the basement of the Methodist Church. They were preparing to take a forward step in the history of the steadily growing West Texas town - the organization of the first Olney Chamber of Commerce. Records show that W.L. Scott, in 1925, a prominent Olney lawyer, was named the first Chamber of Commerce president of Olney. Of the group's first board of directors, four were still active in Olney's civic life for 1947 - Dr. H.C. McKinney, Walter P. Reynolds, J.P. Alexander, and A.A. Cooper. The other members of the board for that 1925-1926 term were the late O.T. Anderson, E.W. Hunt, Jack Marcell and W.C. Harrell, according to old chamber minutes still preserved at the chamber's headquarters. Olney Chamber of Commerce had for its first manager M. Gruver, who served until December 1932. Then Edwin HIll was named part-time manager until October 1934, when Homer L. Massey became full-time manager. He served until November 1936, was followed by William A. Wilson, serving until April 1938. Then came Carl A. Blasig, until August 1938; C.C. Williams until September 1940; Leo M. Kuchn, until May 1942; Jack D. Brown, until February 1943. On February 1943, World L. Coffey was named to that post and served until December 1943, when he was inducted into the Army. During Coffey's service in uniform, L.C. Boyd served as acting manager until April 1945, and W.S. Whaley from that month until 1 January 1946 when Coffey returned from overseas service. Whaley at that time was named projects director for the Chamber and for the City of Olney, the post he was holding in 1947, and Coffey returned to the Chamber as manager.