| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | Freedom Communications |
| Publisher | Patrick Canty |
| Editor | Laura Dennis |
| Founded | 1940 (as The Odessa American) |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | 222 E. Fourth St Odessa, TX 79761 United States |
| Circulation | 16,595 Mon-Fri 14,074 Sat 17,207 Sun [1] |
| Official website | oaoa.com |
The Odessa American is a newspaper based in Odessa, Texas, that serves Odessa as well as the rest of Ector County[2].
The newspaper has daily editions (for $0.75) and Sunday Editions (for $1.50).
The paper is particularly notable for its Pulitzer Prize winning picture of Baby Jessica McClure when she was rescued from her well in neighboring Midland, Texas[3].
The American is owned by Freedom Communications.
In 1895, William C. "Uncle Billy" Griffin came to Odessa from Midland and began publishing Ector County's first newspaper the Odessa "Weekly News."
The "Weekly News" lasted only one year, and was followed by six other short-lived weekly publication until August 1927, when production of Odessa "Times" and Odessa "News" began. In October 1928, the two-weekly papers were merged as the Odessa "News Times."
The towns of Penwell and Goldsmith supported for a short time during oil boom of the 1930s, the only Ector County newspaper known to have been published outside Odessa.
The first daily newspaper, The "Daily Bulletin" began in 1936, the "New-Times" followed in 1937. On October 2, 1940 R. Henderson Shuffler consolidated the "Daily Bulletin" and was the "News-Times" into The Odessa American," which he sold on Aug. 11, 1945.
Ownership of the Newspaper changed twice before Aug. 13, 1948, when it was purchased by Raymond C. Hoiles of Freedom Newspapers Inc. V.L. Debolt was appointed publisher and has headed that position for 26 years.
The Odessa American has withstood brief competition from five newspapers since its first publication and has been published at this site since 1951.[4]
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