The age-herald., 1901-02-17
Alabama History.


 The plea which was urged in this place first for well-equipped State Depart ment of History, and made through the medium of an interview with an Ala bama historian of enviable distinction, has at last resulted in complete and most gratifying success, and the Department of history is now created by the law of the State.
 This proposition of such great and en- during good to all Alabamians was first seriously made and outlined before the great public by John Witherspoon Du- Bose, the gifted and distinguished biogra- pher of Yancey whose urgent and timely words in the course of an interview were printed in this gossip department of the Age-Herald," said a man who has taken an earnest interest in the movement.
 MT. DuBose enlarged in his talk upon practical suggestions made and good and enduring work already accomplished by Thomas McAdory Owen, the young his torian who Is most likely better equipped for dealing with Alabama history than any other man. MT. DuBose is as father of Alabama and southern history; MT owen Is it's brilliant interpreter.
 'It was mainly through MT owen's ef- forts that the General Assembly two years ago voted thousand dollars to aid the work of the Alabama Historical So- ciety, and so far as practical work goes Mir Owen Is largely the society. That first appropriation was the real beginning of that ennobllng movement which finds its true fulfillment in the act which the General Assembly sent to the Governor on Friday Thus that act, for the passage of which MT. Owen has labored stead- fastly and most zealously, is a proud monument to Thomas McAdory Owen. Had he done nothing else and were his labors to cease now as the world opens to him, he would still deserve and receive the gratitude of all enlightened Ala bamians
 But MT. owens work is just begun. It is unanimously agreed and universally held proper that Governor Stanford will forthwith appoint MT. owen as head of the Department of History. and so he will continue as a high officer of the State that great work to which he has devoted many years of his own time in patient and scholarly research, and much of his private possessions towards tho expense that was too heavy for private citizen of limited means to bear. Governor Sam ford will appoint many men to offices of honor and profit, but it is not possible be can name any man for any place who shall be more worthy of honor than MT Owen
 ''It is interesting to note that in mere weight the books of history collected by MT Owen in his work for Alabama turn thirteen tons; and many of these books are each unique. there being no other copies in existence, and to Alabamians and to all interested In Alabama history they are above price. MT. Owen also has upwards of four hundred bound volumes of Alabama Newspapers some of which reach back to a hundred years ago, or about twenty years before Alabama be- came a state.
 "Commendation of this gifted and dis tinguishec young historian of Alabama would be but half-praise did it not in- cl,ide his wife, brilliant woman of wide culture. who has done more than strong woman's share In aiding her husband to preserve and place before the people of Alabama their own history. Mrs. Owen vas Mis-, Marie Bankhead, second daugh- ter of John Hollis Bankhead, the famous Congressman now representing the Sixth Alabama district Mir. Owen and Mrs. Owen will take up their residence in Montgomery after he has been appointed to and has qualified for the directorship of the Department of History"