Wick Fowler Collection

Journalist and chili enthusiast Wick Fowler (1909-1972) was born Homer Thomas Wilson Fowler in Big Sandy, Texas and grew up in Victoria, Texas. Fowler began his newspaper career at the Austin American Statesman, then joined the Dallas Morning News, and later became editor of the Midland Reporter Telegram. During World War II he served as the only Texas news correspondent, writing for the Dallas Morning News, and was awarded a Purple Heart after being wounded in Italy with fellow journalist Ernie Pyle. He followed the 36^th Infantry Division, which was partially comprised of men from his former National Guard unit. During the Vietnam War Fowler shipped out to Vietnam as a war correspondent for the Denton Record Chronicle. Again Fowler told the story of Texan soldiers. He returned later to cover the local boys for 15 Texas newspapers, and again with Texas businessman H. Ross Perot in attempts to return prisoners of war. Fowler helped found the Chili Appreciation Society International and created Wick Fowler’s 2-Alarm Chili product, both of which are still active. Both ideas were born of a chili cook-off first held in Terlingua, Texas in 1967, in which Fowler competed against Francis X. Tolbert, a friend and colleague at the Dallas Morning News. Fowler was also a humorist, writing columns such as the “Towering Texan,” “Fowler Fare,” and “The World’s Fare” from 1947-1968. He brought Wick Fowler’s 2-Alarm Chili on his trips to Vietnam, and was called on to cheer the troops in World War II. Fowler also wrote on local issues such as the John F. Kennedy assassination in Dallas in which Texas governor John Connally was injured, crime and safety, and boating.

Sources:

Wood, Sam, “A tribute to Wick Fowler…,” Texas State Directory, ca 1973, page 33.

Handbook of Texas Online, Alice M. Shukalo, “Fowler, Homer Thomas Wilson [Wick],” accessed August 18, 2016, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ffo50.