 william steene 18871965  william steene 18871965 ray sun 12012013 1418 biloxi trawler  possession of ooma in biloxi mississippi  william r steene william robert steene 18871965 was born at syracuse new york on august 18 1887 he was a nationally known portrait painter and muralist steene studied under colarossi and julian in paris after his initial art education at the art students league and national academy of design in new york city among his portraitures possibly familiar to local residents are president franklin d roosevelt senator theodore bilbo of mississippi governor henry whitfield of mississippi dr karl meyer head of cook county hospital at chicago ev richards president of the navy league of america and paramount richards theatres and golfing legend robert trent bobby jones who s who in america vol 31 19601961 and bradfordo keefe burial book 48 p 245 probably william r steene s first visit to the mississippi gulf coast was in april 1931 when he was a guest of the buena vista hotel at biloxi he had painted in mississippi earlier in his distinguished art career steene had come to biloxi after completing two portraits they were of frank g logan 18511937 philanthropist and honorary president of the chicago art institute and dr harry woodburn chase 18831955 president of the university of illinois mr logan s portrait was hung in the grand central art gallery at nyc the daily herald april 18 1931 p 2 in 1956 from his gulf hills studio wr steene completed a large mural depicting the 1953 louisiana sesquicentennial celebration a remembrance of the louisiana purchase of 1803 at new orleans president eisenhower is at the center of this 50foot long tenfoot tall triptych mural which took a year to complete the painting hangs in the presbytery of the louisiana state museum at new orleans  the daily herald know your coast november 15 1957  blossman collection landing of iberville1699 locally blossman gas on washington avenue has a fine collection of mr steene s paintings ew woody blossman 19131990 commissioned landing of iberville from steene to hang in his refurbished gottsche building which was acquired in 1962 the architectural firm of slaughter smith of pascagoula directed the buildings restoration and wr steene served as art consultant for the project down south march 4 1964 the city of biloxi has a steene painting in its city hall on lameuse street appropriately titled blessing of the fleet  the ocean springs news june 3 1965 p 7    gulf hills in november 1950 the william r steene home and studio in gulf hills was under construction the steens were domiciled in the ed brou residence on washington sic avenue  the gulf coast times november 3 1950 p 8  william steene and his wife eula mae jackson steene 18881969 resided in gulf hills north of ocean springs from 1950 until his death at biloxi on march 24 1965 they married in 1914 and had two daughters betty s painter and marianne s ware 19192001 mrs steene s sister miss o jackson a native of lexington kentucky was once the manager of the town and country restaurant on park avenue in nyc  the daily herald march 24 1965 p 1 and the gulf coast times january 22 1953 p 1    eula jackson steene  18881969 expired in july 1969 at jackson mississippi ssdi  betty steen painter  19151998 married lawrence painter 19151980  marianne steene ware  19192001 died at bronxville new york on march 3 2001 ssdi  references  books bradfordo keefe burial book 48    william robert steene   bradfordo keefe funeral homebiloxi mississippi1965  who s who in america    william steene    vol 31 19601961 magazines down south william steeneartist laureate of the gulf coast   vol 5 no 1 januaryfebruary 1955 pp 1314 down south preserving the past   vol 14 no 2 marchapril 1964 journals the daily herald   portrait painter here   april 18 1931 the daily herald   know your coast   portrait painter of distinguished americans   1956 the daily herald   know your coast     self portrait   photo november 15 1957 the daily herald   know your coast     another mississippian adds to the luster of the little church around the corner   december 8 1959 the daily herald   gulf hills artist dies in hospital   march 24 1965 p 1 the gulf coast times   personal items   november 3 1950 p 8 the gulf coast times   miss o jackson dies here after long illness  january 22 1953 p 1 the ocean springs news   steene exhibit opens sunday at gulf hills   march 8 1962 p 1 the ocean springs news   painter of great lives quietly at gulf hills   september 27 1962 p 2 the ocean springs news   steen sic to judge   february 11 1965 p 6 the ocean springs news   gulf hills artist dies   march 25 1965 p 1 the ocean springs news   plan award in name of coast artist   april 22 1965 p 1 the ocean springs news   blessing of the fleet   photo june 3 1967 p 7 537 views  