Marshall Bernard Hanks came to Abilene in 1892 from Dallas when his father, Dr. R.T. Hanks, took ove rthe pastorate of First Baptist Church. In 1897 Anderson hired young Bernard as a newspaper delivery boy. After high school and college, young Hanks joined the newspaper in mid-1904. Anderson offered Hanks opportunity to buy stock in the business as he could afford it.

Hanks and Anderson became a rare team in business, in civic affairs, in journalism. They re-incorporated the newspaper in 1906 with Hanks taking responsibility for management, business and editorial operations; Anderson for printing and production. The Reporter was at the time an afternoon paper. A Sunday edition was established on Oct. 1, 1908. A semi-weekly for rural readers appeared in 1910.

The Taylor County News came to the end of its distinguished career in 1911. The Reporter purchased it and put its name into retirement for a quarter century. The Reporter grew in size and prestige, and so did the parallel business in job printing and office supplies.

The operation became so vast that on Jan. 1, 1923, Anderson and Hanks divided the firm into two corporations, the Reporter Publishing Co., which produced the newspaper, and Abilene Printing and Stationery Co., which did job printing and sold office supplies. Each of the men had interest in the other's operation. Hanks was publisher-president of the publishing company, Anderson president of the printing company.

Publisher Hanks reclaimed the old newspaper Name, The News, when he added a morning newspaper to the local scene on Sept. 1, 1926. The addition was called The Abilene Morning News, the Afternoon paper, The Abilene Reporter, The names were combined in May 1937 to become The Abilene Reporter-News, with morning, evening and Sunday editions.

Hanks died Dec. 12, 1948. His widow, the former Eva May Hollis, became president of the Reporter Publishing Co. Howard McMahon, who had been the assistant publisher, became the operating executive. George S. Anderson continued as chairman of the board until his death in February 1964.

Andrew B. (Stormy) Shelton, who was married to Patty Hanks, succeeded McMahon as Publisher of the newspaper in February 1964.

Shelton, who was reare in Harlingen, came to Abilene in 1933 as a student at Hardin-Simmons University. he went to work for the newspaper in 1935 while still a student.

After Mrs. Hanks' death in May 1967, her daughter, Mrs. Shelton, became chairman of the board. The Sheltons followed the traditional involvement in civic and cultural endeavors, always without any self-aggrandizement.

(Abridged from Katharyn Duff's April 19, 1981 "The Story of a Prairie Newspaper" You can buy this book online from credit card-secured site shopARN.com.)