W. C. DOWD, SR., DIED FRIDAY

President and General Manager of Charlotte News Passes Away Suddenly At Home

CHARLOTTE, Sept. 23.--(AP)--W. C. Dowd, Sr., 62 years old president and general manager of the Charlotte News died at home here today. Heart trouble was the immediate cause of death.

Active in affairs of the community with which he had been identified throughout most of his life, Mr. Dowd never relinquished his interest in affairs although for the past two years he had spent most of his time in Florida and the North Carolina mountains. Returning from Linville, N. C., his summer home, Mr. Dowd last week told friends he had not felt better in years.

On arising this morning, Mr. Dowd appeared in good health but soon complained of feeling unwell. The end came suddenly.

Mr. Dowd was born in Moore county March 21, 1865. Whe a boy his father and mother, Capt. J. C. and Henrietta Dowd moved to Mecklenburg county. He was educated at the Carolina Military institute and Wake Forest college and while in the latter institution was a member of the football team that won the southern championship.

On November 23, 1892, Mr. Dowd married Miss Eloise Jordan Butt. Three children, all surviving, were born of this union. They are W. Carey Dowd, Jr., business manager of the Charlotte News; Mrs. Morehead Jones, of Charlotte, and J. E. Dowd, of Richmond, Va.

After leaving college Mr. Dowd taught in the Carolina Military academy for a time and planned to study law. He purchased a weekly newspaper, the Mecklenburg Times-Democrat, from Wade Harris, now editor of the Charlotte Observer and purchased the Charlotte News in 1895. He then bought the Charlotte Chronicle and combined the publications.

He was elected to the state senate in 1895 and 1896 and 1900 he was a delegate to the Democratic national convention. He was presidential elector from the sixth district in 1900 and from 1907 to 1911 he was speaker in the North Carolina house of representatives.

Mr. Dowd was a member of the Associated Press through his newspaper and one of its staunchest supporters. He was at one time a member of the board of directors of the organization and for many years was a member of the southern division advisory board and frequently was called upon for advice in the handling of affairs of the organization.

He was a Baptist in faith and a teacher of the Business Men's Sunday school class. He was twice president of the state Baptist convention and served as moderator of the Mecklenburg-Cabarrus Baptist association.

Mr. Dowd's first wife died April 26, 1916, and in July, 1917, he married Miss Ellen Furness Gayle, of Montgomery, Ala., from who he was divorced. In July, 1924, he married Mrs. Thomas Turner, of High Point, who with the children by his first marriage, survives him.

Greensboro Record
Friday, September 23, 1927
Page 7