Pulitizer Prize Winning Author to Speak

Vance Trimble, Pulitzer- Prize winner and author of the best-seller "Sam Walton," will speak at Third Thursday at the Grove Public Library at 12 noon Thursday, June 21. The meeting is open to the public.

Trimble began his writing career in 1927 at 14 as a cub reporter on
the Okemah Daily Leader. He worked at a series of papers and became
managing editor of the "Houston (Texas) Press". Promoted to news editor of the
Scripps-Howard national bureau in Washington D.C., he won the Pulitzer
Prize in 1960 for his expose of Congressional nepotism and payroll abuse that
brought on grassroots outrage and caused the Senate to open secret
records.

The same series of articles also won the Raymond Clapper and the Sigma
Delta Chi awards for national reporting. The three awards are the triple
crown of journalism.

"Choctaw Kisses, Bullets & Blood", Trimble's latest book, is a true
story of life and times in the Choctaw Nation about a century ago. The book
concentrates on the white Locke family. Victor Locke, a penniless,
ragged, Confederate boy-soldier, came to the Choctaw Nation after the Civil
War. Locke sets out to make his fortune and have a role in the political
affairs of the nation.
Victor, Sr., married a Choctaw, and his half-blood son, Victor, Jr., became a Choctaw chief and led an eventful life.

Trimble has found plenty of resources so that his story is backed up
with facts. There is conflict, intrigue, and action. Yet the story can be
accepted as a true account of the times. Many family and other historical photographs add greatly to the readers enjoyment.

Other books by Trimble include biographies of Fred Smith, founder if
Fed-Ex; Happy Chandler, the baseball commissioner; and E.W. Scripps,
newspaper publisher. Last year he wrote "Alice & J.F.B.: The 100-Year
Saga of Two Seminole Chiefs", another true story of a mixed -blood family.

Trimble worked as reporter or editor on newspapers in Wewoka,
Seminole, Maud, Shawnee, Muskogee, Okmulgee, and Tulsa. He was editor of "The
Kentucky Post", Covington, Kentucky, for twenty years. He now lives in Wewoka where he grew up.

Trimble will be signing his books following his discussion.

Those attending Third Thursday are invited to bring a brown bag lunch.
Drinks and dessert will be provided.

Third Thursday is a program about books and authors sponsored by
Friends of the Grove Public Library.

Submitted by Rose Stauber