Early Life
Welch was born in Lockney in Floyd County in West Texas. His father, Gilford Edgar Welch, was an automobile mechanic. His mother, the former Nora Shackleford, taught a Bible study at the Church of Christ which the family attended.
He was a member of his high school debate team and was the president of his senior class. Devoted to literature and poetry, he learned the passages that he quoted throughout his life. Memorizing these classic lines may also have contributed to his quick wit and brash one-liners. During his political career, Welch was known for his quick quips he used with the media. Sometimes this 'saltiness' got the diminutive man in trouble; more often than not it served its purpose: defusing the situation while making his point clear: he would stand up for what he believed was right. He studied in Abilene, Texas, at Abilene Christian College, now Abilene Christian University, where he was a varsity cheerleader and a member of Phi Delta Psi social club. In 1940, he received his Bachelor of Arts in history. He was married on December 17, 1940 to his first wife, Iola Faye Cure, in a ceremony performed by Homer Hailey.
Read more about this topic: Louie Welch
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