Born in Chicago, Edward Paycen Churchill was the son of George F. Churchill and Lizzie M. Churchill (née Addy). In his youth he worked as an usher in theaters in Chicago before moving to
Kansas City, Missouri where he became the head of the newly developed
sheet music department of the George B. Peck Dry Goods Company. He soon after started a side business of his own, working as a
talent agent in Kansas City. Not satisfied with serving as a booking agent for theaters owned by others, Churchill decided to pursue a business operating his own entertainment venues. He built his first theatre, the Lyric Theatre, in
St. Joseph, Missouri. He then partnered with the financier
E. H. Harriman to build the Lake Contrary Amusement Park in St. Joseph and theaters in
Peoria, Illinois,
Kalamazoo, Michigan and
Grand Rapids, Michigan. He opened offices in Chicago where he worked as a booking agent; not only for his theaters but for other
vaudeville venues. He forged several partnerships, which preceded the formation of the
Western Vaudeville Managers' Association (WVMA). Eventually, he merged his organization into the WVMA, at which point he became the WVMA's general manager. Churchill died on 14 December 1920 in New York City. He is the father of actress
Marguerite Churchill. ==References==