Individual Details
Edward Gordon Perry
(28 Apr 1885 - 18 Mar 1952)
Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas, Wednesday, March 19, 1952, Section Part I, Page 9: Death Closes Busy Career of E. Gordon Perry at 66. E. Gordon Perry--for twenty-five years a guiding light in Dallas YMCA activities, active churchman and civic and business leader--died in his sleep at his home in San Angelo Tuesday. He would have been sixty-seven years old on April 28. During his time in Dallas from 1922 to 1947, Perry was a Y director for the entire period, developer of Perry Heights in North Dallas, insurance agent and owner of Perry Motor Company, a Dodge agency.
He also was superintendent of the First Methodist Church School for sixteen years, member of the Board of Southern Methodist University for fifteen years and president of the West Dallas Social Center and chairman of the Texas Social Welfare Association's committee on inter-organization cooperation. He organized the Dallas USO during World War II and served as its president for two years. Although Perry's later years were busy enough for three men, his earlier years were not without industry and pioneering adventures. He first moved to El Paso in 1908 from his native Woodville, Tenn. Perry, along with his brother-in-law, set up the first Ford agency in that west Texas city in 1912. Three years later he established another "first" by operating the initial Dodge agency in Texas and sold the tenth Dodge manufactured by the company.
It was soon afterward that Gen. John J. Pershing began his famous chase after Pancho Villa, the Mexican bandit leader. Pershing decided to motorize and bought 285 cars from Perry. Perry joined the Army expedition as a lieutenant colonel with his own technicians to keep the vehicles in running condition. After funning into a few ambushes, "I finally suggested that we put steel around the lead cars. I got iron works in El Paso to build the armor. Then we mounted machine guns in the cars." This was probably one of the first instances of armored cars in warfare and Pershing later made use of this technique to great advantage during World War I. Perry got to know Villa better after the expedition when Villa turned "Respectable" and purchase machinery from Perry for his enormous ranch in Mexico. "Villa was pleasant enough to Americans," Perry often said. "He was just a fat man who could speak some English."
It was while in El Paso that Perry started his long association with the YMCA that later became his greatest interest. Perry not only devoted his time to many civic and religious institution, but contributed his money as well. He served on finance committees that were responsible for building he First Methodist Church in Dallas, Camp Wisdom and the Salvation Army quarters in this city. Other positions held by Perry in Dallas included membership in the board of stewards and the board of trustees of the First Methodist Church, district manager for the Reliance Insurance Company, past membership of the Dallas Park Board, the Rotary Club, Dallas Country Club and Masonic lodge.
In San Angelo, where he had resided since 1947, he was president of the Home Builders Association, a member of Rotary, a member of the Tom Green County Tuberculosis Association, and of the board of directors of the real estate board and a member of the Insurance Exchange. He was a past president on the church's board of stewards. " I have had a lot of privileges in my life," he had said, "and feel very humble about it." Surviving are his wife; a son, E. Gordon Perry Jr. of Dallas and a daughter, Miss Vandelia Perry of San Angelo. Funeral arrangements are pending in San Angelo.
He also was superintendent of the First Methodist Church School for sixteen years, member of the Board of Southern Methodist University for fifteen years and president of the West Dallas Social Center and chairman of the Texas Social Welfare Association's committee on inter-organization cooperation. He organized the Dallas USO during World War II and served as its president for two years. Although Perry's later years were busy enough for three men, his earlier years were not without industry and pioneering adventures. He first moved to El Paso in 1908 from his native Woodville, Tenn. Perry, along with his brother-in-law, set up the first Ford agency in that west Texas city in 1912. Three years later he established another "first" by operating the initial Dodge agency in Texas and sold the tenth Dodge manufactured by the company.
It was soon afterward that Gen. John J. Pershing began his famous chase after Pancho Villa, the Mexican bandit leader. Pershing decided to motorize and bought 285 cars from Perry. Perry joined the Army expedition as a lieutenant colonel with his own technicians to keep the vehicles in running condition. After funning into a few ambushes, "I finally suggested that we put steel around the lead cars. I got iron works in El Paso to build the armor. Then we mounted machine guns in the cars." This was probably one of the first instances of armored cars in warfare and Pershing later made use of this technique to great advantage during World War I. Perry got to know Villa better after the expedition when Villa turned "Respectable" and purchase machinery from Perry for his enormous ranch in Mexico. "Villa was pleasant enough to Americans," Perry often said. "He was just a fat man who could speak some English."
It was while in El Paso that Perry started his long association with the YMCA that later became his greatest interest. Perry not only devoted his time to many civic and religious institution, but contributed his money as well. He served on finance committees that were responsible for building he First Methodist Church in Dallas, Camp Wisdom and the Salvation Army quarters in this city. Other positions held by Perry in Dallas included membership in the board of stewards and the board of trustees of the First Methodist Church, district manager for the Reliance Insurance Company, past membership of the Dallas Park Board, the Rotary Club, Dallas Country Club and Masonic lodge.
In San Angelo, where he had resided since 1947, he was president of the Home Builders Association, a member of Rotary, a member of the Tom Green County Tuberculosis Association, and of the board of directors of the real estate board and a member of the Insurance Exchange. He was a past president on the church's board of stewards. " I have had a lot of privileges in my life," he had said, "and feel very humble about it." Surviving are his wife; a son, E. Gordon Perry Jr. of Dallas and a daughter, Miss Vandelia Perry of San Angelo. Funeral arrangements are pending in San Angelo.
Events
| Birth | 28 Apr 1885 | Woodville, Chester Co., Tennessee |  | ||
| Marriage | 26 Dec 1910 | Vandelia Melvina Kirkpatrick | |||
| Death | 18 Mar 1952 | San Angelo, Tom Green Co., Texas | | ||
| Alt name | E Gordon Perry | | |||
| Residence | San Angelo, Tom Green Co., Texas | | |||
| Race | White | | |||
| Burial | Fairmont Cemetery, San Angelo, Tom Green Co., Texas | |
Families
| Spouse | Vandelia Melvina Kirkpatrick (1889 - 1971) |
| Child | Edward Gordon Perry Jr. (1912 - 2013) |
| Child | Vandelia Perry (1919 - 1982) |