Paul Owen Selby Papers
Ms Collection S1

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Paul Owen Selby (1890-1982), the son of Hiram and Ella (Clay) Selby, was born in La Plata, MO, but was raised in Kirksville where he attended the public schools before enrolling at The First District Normal School (now Truman State University).  He received his Bachelor of Pedagogy (1911) and Bachelor of Science in Education (1918) here then went on to earn an MA from the University of Missouri (1926) and PhD from the University of Iowa (1934).

Dr. Selby began his career-long professional association with this institution in 1912 as Registrar and Secretary to President John R Kirk.  After completing his BSEd and serving with the Army during World War I, he returned as Professor of Commerce in 1919, later becoming Head of the Division of Business Education and then, from 1954 until his retirement in 1960, Dean of Instruction.  He founded Pi Omega Pi, a local business education fraternity, in 1922 and served as the first President when it became a national organization in 1927. 

The author of several texts on business and commercial education, Dr Selby concentrated on his hobby, researching and writing local history, after retirement.  Most of his works of both types may be found in Pickler Memorial Library’s Missouriana and Faculty Publications.

This manuscript collection consists of his personal papers, research notes and writings and includes the files and records he gave during his lifetime as well as those cleared from his campus office after his death. They have been consolidated and his alphabetical arrangement retained.