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| birth_place=Corsicana, Navarro County, [[Texas]]<br>
| birth_place=Corsicana, Navarro County, [[Texas]]<br>
Resident of Carthage in Panola County
Resident of Carthage in Panola County
| death_date=November 3, 2025 (aged 83)<br>
'''Resting place''':<br>
Pattison Cemetery in Emhouse in Navarro County, Texas
| nationality=[[United States|American]]<br>
| nationality=[[United States|American]]<br>
|spouse=(1) Kathryn Berry (divorced)<br>
| spouse= (1) Kathryn Berry (divorced)<br>
(2) Faye Gipson (divorced) (since Faye G. Frasier)<br>
(2) Faye Gipson (divorced<br> (since Faye G. Frasier)<br>
(3) Karen Jane Ashby O'Neal (married 1993-2016, her death)<br>
(3) Karen Jane Ashby O'Neal (married 1993-2016, her death)
'''Children''':<br>
'''Children''':<br>
Four daughters from second marriage:<br>
Four daughters from second marriage:<br>
Berri O'Neal Gormley<br>
Berri O'Neal Gormley<br>
Causby Lea O'Neal Henderson<br>
Causby Lea O'Neal Henderson<br>
'''Parents''':<br>William Causby "Bud" O'Neal<br>
'''Parents''':<br>
William Causby "Bud" O'Neal<br>
Jessie Standard O'Neal<br>
Jessie Standard O'Neal<br>
'''Alma mater''':<br>
'''Alma mater''':<br>
Corsicana High School<br>
Corsicana High School<br>
Navarro College<br>
Navarro College<br>
Texas A&M University - Commerce in Hunt County}}
Texas A&M University - Commerce in Hunt County
|religion=[[Southern Baptist]]}}
:Not to be confused with Texas historian and attorney [[Bill Neal (Texas)|Bill Neal]]
:Not to be confused with Texas historian and attorney [[Bill Neal (Texas)|Bill Neal]]
'''John William O'Neal''', known as '''Bill O'Neal''' (born April 8, 1942), is an [[United States|American]] [[author]] who has written more than forty books and more than three hundred articles and book reviews on the American West. His work focuses on gunfighters, law enforcement officers, and ghost towns. He has also written on [[Country music]], with emphasis on [[Texas]] artists, [[baseball]], and children's books, including one about the first [[Thanksgiving Day|Thanksgiving]] celebrations held in Texas.
'''John William O'Neal''', known as '''Bill O'Neal''' (April 8, 1942 – November 3, 2025)<ref name=obit/> was an author of fifty-nine books and scores of articles on the American West. His work focuses on gunfighters, law enforcement officers, and ghost towns. He has also written on [[Country music]], with emphasis on [[Texas]] artists, [[baseball]], and children's books, including one about the first [[Thanksgiving Day|Thanksgiving]] celebrations held in Texas.
==Background==
==Background==
O'Neal was born in Corsicana in Navarro County in east central Texas to William Causby "Bud" O'Neal (1915–1991), a 1939 Bachelor of Science graduate of [[Texas A&M University]] in [[College Station, Texas|College Station]], and the former Jessie Standard (1918–2002), originally from Lampasas in west central Texas. O'Neal's maternal great-grandfather drove [[cattle]] on the Chisholm Trail; his maternal grandmother, Janie Lucile Standard, came to Texas in 1881 in a covered wagon. Bud and Jessie married on April 9, 1940, and owned a [[farm]] retail store in Corsicana. O'Neal has a younger sister, Judy O'Neal Smith (born March 20, 1944), and a brother, Michael Ross "Mike" O'Neal (born June 25, 1952) of Carrollton near [[Dallas]].
O'Neal was born in Corsicana in Navarro County in east central Texas to William Causby "Bud" O'Neal (1915–1991), a 1939 Bachelor of Science graduate of [[Texas A&M University]] in [[College Station, Texas|College Station]], and the former Jessie Lucille Standard (1918–2002), originally from Lampasas in west central Texas. O'Neal's maternal great-grandfather drove [[cattle]] on the Chisholm Trail; his maternal grandmother, Janie Lucile Standard, came to Texas in 1881 in a covered wagon. Bud and Jessie married on April 9, 1940, and owned a [[farm]] retail store in Corsicana. As a little boy, O'Neal spent treasured hours at the Ideal, Palace, and Grand theatres in Corsicana, figuratively riding the range with Gene Autry and [[Roy Rogers]]. O'Neal has a younger sister, Judy O'Neal Smith (born March 20, 1944), and a brother, Michael Ross "Mike" O'Neal (born June 25, 1952) of Carrollton near [[Dallas]].<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/bill-o-neal-obituary?id=59965851|title=Bill O'Neal obituary|publisher=legacy.com|date=November 5, 2025}}</ref>
In 1960, O'Neal graduated from Corsicana High School. He thereafter enrolled at, first, Navarro College in Corsicana and then Texas A&M University-Commerce, then known as East Texas State University in Commerce, a city in Hunt County. He received his [[Bachelor of Arts]] and [[Master of Arts]] from A&M-Commerce in 1964 and 1969, respectively. O'Neal served as athletic director and head football coach at Anna High School (1967–1968) and at Waskom High School in Harrison County (1968–1970). He first married the former Kathryn Berry of [[Dallas]]. After their divorce, O'Neal married Faye Gipson of Garrison in Nacogdoches County, who remarried and took the name Faye G. Frasier of [[Corpus Christi]].
In 1960, O'Neal graduated from Corsicana High School. He thereafter enrolled at, first, Navarro College in Corsicana and then Texas A&M University-Commerce, then known as East Texas State University in Commerce, a city in Hunt County. He received his [[Bachelor of Arts]] and [[Master of Arts]] from A&M-Commerce in 1964 and 1969, respectively. O'Neal served as athletic director and head football coach at Anna High School (1967–1968) and at Waskom High School in Harrison County (1968–1970). He first married the former Kathryn Berry of [[Dallas]]. After their divorce, O'Neal married Faye Gipson of Garrison in Nacogdoches County, who remarried and took the name Faye G. Frasier of [[Corpus Christi]].
There are four O'Neal daughters from the second marriage: twins Lynn O. Martinez (born 1972), the wife of Rudy Martinez of Mansfield, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Shellie O'Neal, a theater arts professor at Navarro College.A third dauhger, Dr. Berri O'Neal (born 1975), the wife of Drew Gormley of Irving in Dallas County, is the executive director of Universities Center at Dallas (www.ucddowntown.org) and an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce. The fourth daughter, Causby Lea Henderson (born 1980), the wife of Dusty Lee Henderson of Allen, Texas, north of Dallas. O'Neal's third wife was the former Karon Jane Ashby (1960-2016), the daughter of James W. and Louise Riggs Ashby of her native Carthage. Karon O'Neal was a talented seamstress and musician and a former head of the Panola College [[mathematics]] department. She and O'Neal were married in Central [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church in Carthage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jimerson-lipsey.com/obituary/3787113|title=Karon Jane Ashby O'Neal obituary|publisher=Jimmerson-lipsey.com|date=July 4, 2016|accessdate=December 13, 2019}}</ref>
There are four O'Neal daughters from the second marriage: twins Lynn O. Martinez (born 1972), the wife of Rudy Martinez of Mansfield, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Shellie O'Neal, a theater arts professor at Navarro College. A third daughter, Dr. Berri O'Neal (born 1975), the wife of Drew Gormley of Irving in Dallas County, is the executive director of Universities Center at Dallas (www.ucddowntown.org) and an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce. The fourth daughter, Causby Lea Henderson (born 1980), the wife of Dusty Lee Henderson of Allen, Texas, north of Dallas. O'Neal's third wife was the former Karon Jane Ashby (1960-2016), the daughter of James W. and Louise Riggs Ashby of her native Carthage. Karon O'Neal was a talented seamstress and musician and a former head of the Panola College [[mathematics]] department. She and O'Neal were married in Central [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church in Carthage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jimerson-lipsey.com/obituary/3787113|title=Karon Jane Ashby O'Neal obituary|publisher=Jimmerson-lipsey.com|date=July 4, 2016|accessdate=December 13, 2019}}</ref>
==Panola College==
==Panola College==
In 2007, he was named the "Best Living Non-Fiction Writer" by ''True West Magazine.''
In 2007, he was named the "Best Living Non-Fiction Writer" by ''True West Magazine.''
O'Neal is a former Texas state historian, a position to which he was appointed in 2012 by [[Governor]] [[Rick Perry]]. He spoke at a public forum on March 24, 2013, at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in [[Austin]] on the topic, "The Leadership Roles of Sam Houston."<ref>West Texas Historical Association newsletter, March 20, 2013.</ref>
From 2012 to 2018, O'Neal was the Texas state historian, a position to which he was appointed by then [[Governor]] [[Rick Perry]]. He spoke at a public forum on March 24, 2013, at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in [[Austin]] on the topic, "The Leadership Roles of Sam Houston."<ref>West Texas Historical Association newsletter, March 20, 2013.</ref>
On August 10, 2013, O'Neal addressed the summer advanced degree commencement at his ''alma mater'', Texas A&M at Commerce; university president Dr. Dan Jones presented him with an honorary doctor of letters degree. The Bill O'Neal Hall, a new dormitory at Panola College, is named in his honor.<ref>Tai Kreidler, "Texas State Historian Awarded Honorary Doctor of Letters and Dormitory Named in His Honor," West Texas Historial Association newsletter, August 19, 2013.</ref>
On August 10, 2013, O'Neal addressed the summer advanced degree commencement at his ''alma mater'', Texas A&M at Commerce; university president Dr. Dan Jones presented him with an honorary doctor of letters degree. The Bill O'Neal Hall, a new dormitory at Panola College, is named in his honor.<ref>Tai Kreidler, "Texas State Historian Awarded Honorary Doctor of Letters and Dormitory Named in His Honor," West Texas Historial Association newsletter, August 19, 2013.</ref>
In the fall of 2025, in his last action as an historian, he presented a paper at the East Texas Historical Association conference in which he advocated for the importance of citizen historians.<ref>Tai Kriedler, Special
WTHA E-Newsletter: Bill O'Neal Death, November 4, 2025.</ref>
O'Neal died at the age of eighty-three. His services were held at Central Baptist Church in Carthage, where he had married his third wife
in 1993. He is interred at Pattison Cemetery in Navarro County, Texas.
==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
*''The Pacific Coast League, 1903-1888'' (1990).
*''The Pacific Coast League, 1903-1888'' (1990).
*''The Southern League, 1885-1994'' (1994).
*''The Southern League, 1885-1994'' (1994).
===Children's books===
===Children's books===
*''Great Gunfighters of the Wild West'' (2001).
*''The First Thanksgiving - It Happened in Texas'' (2000).
*''The First Thanksgiving - It Happened in Texas'' (2000).
*''Doris Miller, Hero of Pearl Harbor'' (2007).
*''Doris Miller, Hero of Pearl Harbor'' (2007).