P.J. Conkwright was born in Pleasant Jefferson Conkwright on October 23, 1905 in the [[Oklahoma Territory]] to a missionary family. He was introduced to printing through his father in the creation of the [[church bulletin]] and a Boy Scout troop newspaper. In 1924, Conkwright enrolled at [[Oklahoma Baptist University]] transferring to the [[University of Oklahoma]], the [[University of Missouri]] and landing at the [[University of Kentucky]] where he received his BA in history.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = http://press.princeton.edu/about_pup/PUP100/book/3_Conkwright.pdf|title = Twenty Years of the Goudy Award: P. J. Conkwright|date = 2012-05-23|accessdate = 2 January 2016|website = |publisher = |last = |first = }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title = American National Biography: Supplement 2|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=wZczV8ZxgL4C|publisher = Oxford University Press, USA|date = 2005-05-12|isbn = 9780195222029|first = Mark C.|last = Carnes}}</ref>
In 1929, he joined the staff at the [[University of Oklahoma Press]] where he also received his MA in English and history with an emphasis on American printing history, which was also his thesis. In 1934, he married Hazel Dale Boone.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
