Anthony Overton’s Early Life

Determining the contours of Anthony Overton’s early life, especially between his sixteenth and thirty-first birthdays, has been complicated by a long-standing dissemination of misinformation. This chapter discusses how much of the literature (including encyclopedia entries, book chapters, newspaper articles, and obituaries) portrays him as someone who experienced success in a wide variety of areas. However, a fact check of Overton’s early life reveals that he experienced considerable failure and disappointment. The evidence suggests that Overton, later in life, created many of the long-standing myths regarding his formative years. Also, it is clear that the young Overton ultimately benefited from his exposure to two mentors: his father Anthony Overton Sr. and Booker T. Washington.