Biography of W. E. E. Koepler - McDowell Co. VA The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 521 W. E. E. KOEPLER of Bluefield, secretary of the Pocahon- tas Operators Association, has been actively associated since college days with the publicity end of the coal industry, and formerly connected with the Black Diamond and the Coal Age. Mr. Koepler was born at St. Charles, Missouri, September 5, 1884, son of August and Aurelia (Heye) Koepler. Both the Koepler and Heye families came to this country from Germany in very early times. These families were identified with the historic town of St. Charles, the first permanent settlement west of the Missouri River. St. Charles is a village gome miles above St. Louis, and was founded in a period when Missouri was owned by Spain and later by France, and was in the nature of a court town before the Louisiana Purchase. Mr. Koepler's ancestor owned what was used as the first State House in St. Charles, a building in which the Territorial Legislature assembled. It was in this old house that W. E. E. Koepler was born, and since then the State of Missouri has made an appropriation to preserve the building. Mr. Koepler's ancestor also took up lands where the Planters Hotel of St. Louis now stands. From St. Louis the family moved to St. Charles in 1820. August Koepler was for many years engaged in the industry of stove manufacturing. W. E. E. Koepler acquired a good education in private schools and church schools, and was graduated in 1906 from Westminster College at Fulton, Missouri. In 1907 he be- came identified with the Black Diamond, the official trade journal of the western coal interests. He entered the advertising department and later became manager and eastern editor. He was associated with the Black Diamond until 1913, when he joined the staff of the Colliery En- gineer, and when that was merged with the Coal Age he continued with the latter until 1916. In that year Mr. Koepler took charge of the financial and advertising de- partment of the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Having gained a reputation for the thoroughness of his knowledge of mining machinery and equipment, and his fundamental understanding of trade and economic con- ditions in the coal industry, he was elected in May, 1918, secretary of the Pocahontas Operators Association, with headquarters at Bluefield, and has since been one of the active men in the civic affairs of that community. Mr. Koepler was a member of the National Production Committee, United States Fuel Administration, at Wash- ington during the World war. He is a member of the Rotary Club, Bluefield Country Club, Phi Delta Theta college fraternity and the Engineers Club of Philadelphia. He is a Presbyterian. December 19, 1914, at Philadelphia, Mr. Koepler mar- ried Miss Hazel Hamilton. Their two children are Letitia and Virginia. Submitted by Valerie F. Crook **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************