Poe B. Vandament
Poe B. Vandament
“Mr. Vandament typifies thousands of Oklahoma leaders whose entire community service is within a small town, but whose contribution to each of these towns has been tremendous.”
Biography
A native of Kansas, Poe B. Vandament attended law school at the University of Kansas before coming to Oklahoma Territory in 1903 and entering the newspaper business. He published the Glencoe Mirror until 1912 and then purchased the Welch Watchman, which he published until 1921, when he partnered with H. Merle Woods in the creation of the Craig County Gazette in Vinita. He sold the paper in 1929 and served as publisher of the Yukon Sun from 1930 to 1948. Vandament was the president of the Oklahoma Press Association, district governor of Lions International, mayor of Yukon from 1933-1934, and president of the Oklahoma Municipal League in 1941. He served as the Oklahoma Memorial Association’s, known today as the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, treasurer for 22 years and helped organized the Yukon Lions Club in 1930.
Fun fact
In 1904, Poe Vandament accompanied 100 fellow members of the Oklahoma Territory Press Association by special train from the state capitol in Guthrie to the National Editorial Association Convention at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri.
Oklahoma connections
Vandament came to Oklahoma Territory in 1903 when he purchased the Glencoe Mirror newspaper.