David C. Leavell, 79th president, was born Aug. 18, 1904, at New Market, Mo., and began learning the newspaper business as a printer’s devil on the McAllen Monitor in 1917-23 and then the McAllen Evening Monitor from 1918-23 in advertising sales.

From 1923-26 he attended Texas Christian University and worked at nights as an advertising man and news reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Then he attended the University of Missouri where he graduated in 1927 with honors in journalism.

He then worked for one year on the Marshall News-Messenger and then as ad salesman and reporter at the Longview Daily News.

In 1929 he joined the news department of the Fort Worth Press, a job he held until 1946 when he went to Galveston to become vice president and manager of the News Tribune.

Leavell bought the Texas City Sun in 1948.

He retired from Galveston Aug. 26, 1969.

He also served as treasurer of Texas Daily Newspaper Association and president of the Southwest School of Printing.