FOREST WILLIAM REECE, JR.
PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER GENEAOLOGYBIRTH CERTIFICATE:
Forest William Reece, Jr. (Forrest on birth certificate) was born in Rehmeyer Hospital, Monahans (Ward County) Texas on August 23, 1941.
Father: Forrest William Reece, age 24 (birthdate March 14, 1917) was a resident of Grandfalls (Ward County) Texas. Race: White Birthplace: Van Zandt County, Texas Trade or Profession: Pulling Machine Operator. (Forest Sr. was known as "Frosty" to his co-workers.)
Mother Maiden Name: Thelma Lee Reece, age 24 (actual birthdate June 19, 1915) was a resident of Grandfalls (Ward County) Texas. Race: White Birthplace: Alabama (Franklin County, Alabama) Trade or Profession: Housewife Children born to this mother: 2 Number of children now living: 1 (Billy Ray Reece born and died shortly after birth: May 9, 1940)
EARLY LIFE:
Shortly after birth of Forest his father was employed as an oil field worker by Stanolind Oil & Gas Company (subsequent company names: Pan American Petroleum Corp., Amoco Corporation, and BP Corporation)
Some time prior to 1945 father was transferred by company to Odessa (Ector County) Texas. He was deferred from service in World War II because of essential employment in oil production. However, he received draft notice in early 1945 and reported for physical and induction. He was sworn-in but war ended and he received no further communication from the military. In September, 1945, Mother returned to Monahans for birth of second child: Ronald Edward Reece on September 30, 1945.
In 1946 the family moved to Stanolind camp at North Cowden (Ector County, Texas). Forest entered first grade at Goldsmith in September, 1947. In January of 1948 father transferred to Andrews (Andrews County) Texas where the family lived in Stanolind camp within city limits and subsequently at Stanolind camp in Frankel City about 15 miles west of Andrews. He attended second half of 1st grade and 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades in Andrews.
In the summer of 1951 father was transferred to Big Lake (Reagan County) Texas where he was instrumental in the company's initial exploration of the Sprayberry Oil Field. Forest attended 5th grade in Big Lake and was baptized in First Baptist Church of Big Lake in 1952. In the summer of 1952 father was transferred back to Andrews. Forest attended Andrews schools in 6th and 7th grades. At some point during this time the family moved to the company's Fullerton camp at Frankel City approximately 15 miles west of Andrews.
The summer of 1954 father was transferred to Roswell (Chaves County) New Mexico. Forest attended 8th grade in Roswell. Father was responsible for drilling operations primarily in the southeastern and northwestern corners of the state. In the summer of 1955 he was transferred to Odessa. Forest attended 9th grade at Bonham Junior High School. In April of 1956 father was transferred to Iraan (Pecos) County, Texas. Forest's sibling, Angela Kay Reece was born in Odessa Medical Center on May 28, 1956. The family immediately thereafter moved to the Pan American Yates Area camp of 12 homes approximately 4 miles west of Iraan. Forest attended Iraan High School in 10th, 11th and 12th grades, graduating in 1959. He played football and golf and was active in Future Farmers of America. Father was subsequently transferred to Monahans in January 1960, Midland (Midland County), and Andrews before retiring after 38 years with Stanolind Oil & Gas and its successors.
LATER LIFE:
Forest entered the University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 1959 and remained there off and on until June of 1965. During this period he was out of school at various times to work and attend another school including: greeting card sales to grocery stores in western Oklahoma (summer & fall 1960); attended West Texas State University during fall semester 1961; summer 1963 as news reporter at KTEN television in Amarillo, Tx.
During the 1961 and 1963 biennial sessions of the Texas Legislature Forest provided weekly reports on activities of legislators for five weekly newspapers in west Texas for a fee of $20 per month for each paper. During the 1965 legislative session he worked as state capitol reporter for The Fort Worth Press. He also covered President Lyndon Johnson when he was in residence at "The Texas White House" at Johnson City, Tx.
At the end of the 1965 session of the Texas Legislature in May Forest was offered a position in Dallas as political/governmental reporter for The Dallas Morning News on the recommendation of Richard Morehouse, long time State Capitol Correspondent for The News. Although he was 12 hours away from a degree in Journalism, Forest felt the offer of $115 per week salary by The News was too good to be refused. He began work at The News the first day of June, 1965.
In November, 1965, facing the selective service draft for service in Vietnam, Forest enlisted in the U. S. Coast Guard. A back injury the second day of boot camp resulted in a discharge after one month and he returned to The Dallas Morning News.
As political/governmental reporter at The News, Forest reported on the activities leading to the 1966 elections, covered county government and was on duty to cover major breaking news stories such as a plane crash near Ardmore, Ok in which a number of people were killed.
In July 1966 Forest was asked to become campaign manage for the congressional campaign of Robert (Bob) Price in the Texas Panhandle. In August the 18-term incumbent withdrew from the race and Price was subsequently elected as one of two Republicans among the 23 member Texas delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The other Republican was future president George H.W. Bush.
Forest moved to Washington D.C. in January, 1967 as the congressman's press secretary. After several months in the congressman's office Forest took a position as congressional reporter for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. He returned to Texas in 1968 to manage the congressional campaign of a Dallas Republican against a 13 term incumbent Democrat. The district was a great majority Democrat registration but candidate came with one percentage point of winning. After the election Forest was recommended by Congressman Price for a position in the new Nixon Administration. In February 1969 he became Confidential Assistant to the Administrator of Farmers Home Administration (U.S. Department of Agriculture).
On July 3, 1969, he was invited on a July 4 trip to Ocean City, Maryland by Lee Paden, an assistant to U.S. Senator Henry Bellmon of Oklahoma. On the trip also was a Bellmon assistant Elizabeth Evans Morgan, a native of Oklahoma City, Ok. Forest and Elizabeth were married three months later on October 3, 1969 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City, Ok.
Elizabeth was born December 24, 1939 in Oklahoma City (Oklahoma County) Oklahoma. She graduated from Harding High School in Oklahoma City in 1958 and was a 1962 journalism graduate of the University of Oklahoma. Her father was Walter M Morgan born July 7, 1901 in McAlester, Indian Territory (after Oklahoma statehood in 1907 it became McAlester,Pittsburg County, Oklahoma) and died in Oklahoma City on March 20,1977 . Mother was Laura Focht Morgan born in Greenwood County, Kansas on May 20, 1903 and died in Oklahoma City on June 23, 1966.
We moved into an apartment at 6631 Wakefield Drive, Alexandria, Va. This was the first home of our daughter Laura Britton Reece who was born on May 23, 1970 at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C. We subsequently moved to a rental home at 1200 Wake Forest Drive, Alexandria, Va. In July 1973 we purchased a home at 8613 Conover Place, Alexandria, Va for $55,000. (In July, 2017 the estimated value of the house was $650,000.)
On October 15, 1969 I returned to the office of Congressman Bob Price as Chief of Staff. I was supervisor of seven staff members involved in legislative activities and constituent relationships.
For most of its history the U. S. Senate Agriculture Committee had a non-partisan staff. However upon Hubert Humphrey's return to the Senate, after having served as vice-president under Lyndon B. Johnson, he had requested the formation of a Subcommittee on Rural Development. A large budget was given the subcommittee and Senator Carl Curtis of Nebraska, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee, insisted that a portion of the budget be allocated for Republican staff. In February 1972, I was employed as Professional Staff Member of the United States Senate Agriculture Committee by the ranking Republican on the Agriculture Committee, Senator Jack Miller of Iowa, and Senator Curtis primarily assigned to the Subcommittee on Rural Development.
Forest subsequently had a major role in developing the Rural Development Act of 1972 which became law on August 30, 1972.
Rural Development Act of 1972
"The Congress commits itself to a sound balance between rural and urban America. The Congress considers this balance so essential to the peace, prosperity, and welfare of all our citizens that the highest priority must be given to the revitalization and development of rural areas.
"Congress hereby directs the heads of all executive departments and agencies of the Government to establish and maintain departmental policies and procedures giving first priority to the location of new offices and other facilities in rural areas as defined in the private business enterprise exception in section 1926(a)(7) of Title 7."
(From: 42 U.S.C. Section 3122. Original law: P.L. 92-419, Title VI, Section 601, August 30, 1972.)
"Congress hereby directs the heads of all executive departments and agencies of the Government to establish and maintain departmental policies and procedures giving first priority to the location of new offices and other facilities in rural areas as defined in the private business enterprise exception in section 1926(a)(7) of Title 7."
(From: 42 U.S.C. Section 3122. Original law: P.L. 92-419, Title VI, Section 601, August 30, 1972.)
Laura married Matthew E. Keep in Tulsa (Tulsa County) Oklahoma on August 22, 1998 at Asbury United Methodist Church. There daughter Layne Elizabeth Keep was born at Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa, Ok. on August 21, 2002. Quinn Marjory Keep was born February 7, 2005 at Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa, Ok.
