Published: November 11, 2008 11:12 am            

Willie comes back to the Valley

The Pauls Valley Historical Society cordially invites everyone to come to their meeting Sunday, November 9th at 2 p.m. at the Depot Museum.

The entire program will be presented by William G. Paul, Pauls Valley native and great-great-grandson of Smith Paul.

Paul was known as Willie in Pauls Valley and college but became known as Bill when he began his career.

We are delighted and honored that Willie is taking time from his busy schedule to come home to share his memories of growing up in Pauls Valley — memories of his father, Senator Homer Paul, and his lovely mother, Helen, and hopefully other family members and his most productive and interesting life since moving from the Valley.

Bill Paul has received so many prestigious honors and awards that I will not attempt to list them, but will list the three latest ones.

In 2000 Bill was inducted into the Pauls Valley Hall of Fame at the annual Chamber Banquet.

In 2003 Bill was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

Last, but certainly the most unique, in December of 2006 Willie of the Valley was crowned the first King of Pauls Valley and his wonderful, lovely wife Barbara, his queen.

Early this year the Oklahoma Heritage Association published a biography about the amazing life of Bill Paul that illustrates what can be achieved with hard work and determination. The book is titled “Willie of the Valley: The Life of Bill Paul.”

I urge you to come to the Depot Sunday afternoon and give Willie a warm welcome.

Some of you will know Willie and remember his parents. He would be so pleased to see you.

He remembers his life here with fondness and he is proud to be from Pauls Valley!

Do stop by and visit. It will be an informal affair, no business meeting. If you want to purchase a copy of Willie of the Valley, they will be available and Willie will personally autograph it. What a great Christmas gift!

Here are a few quotes from Willie’s speech at the Chamber Banquet in 2001.

“We lost our father, Homer Paul, in 1949 at age 44. I was 18 and Homer was 16. He is buried in the cemetery on the hill which overlooks the Valley. The inscription on his tombstone reads: ‘Homer Paul would want two things. To be where he could watch this Valley turn green each spring, and to be remembered. He has the first and need not ask for the second.’”

“It has always been a source of considerable, if misplaced, pride to have been Willie Paul of Pauls Valley, born on Paul Avenue. We owe all this to my great-great-grandfather, Smith Paul, the founder of Pauls Valley, who came here in 1837.”

“I owe this place, this town, its institutions and its people much more than I could ever repay. My values, my beliefs and all the foundations of my life were formed here.”

“Each of us hungers to belong to something, to a group, to an institution, to a family. We want to be a part of something bigger than we can be alone. I have always felt that I ‘belonged’ to Pauls Valley, that I was part of the community and a part of its history. Tonight you have confirmed that feeling and that belief for which I thank you.”

        

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