The Texas Book:
Profiles, History, and Reminiscences of the University,
Edited by Richard A. Holland. Austin: UT Press, 2006. 8.5 x 11 in. 272 pp., 71 b&w illus., 8 pp. color section, ISBN: 978-0-292-71429-8 $29.95, hardcover with dust jacket. http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/
Richard Holland, bibliographer and Honors lecturer, declares that UT at its 125th anniversary “can justly claim to be a ‘university of the first class.’" Don Carleton, Director of the Center for American History (now including the Barker), declares "This is the first book of its kind in UT's 125-year history," and the "essays depict the University's defining moments while poignantly capturing the spirit of the campus.” They are correct, despite their vestedness.
These collected essays, some old, some new, reveal hallmark persons and incidents in the stairway toward excellence. But then, I’ve orange blood as well.
I turned the bright white pages of the volume and smoothly ran my hand across the pages for pleasure. For me the most intriguing essay, by Richard Oram, backgrounds Harry Ransom’s foundation of the great collection he amassed. Although Oram’s essay dwells on Ransom’s mid-1950’s pursuit of the older classics, especially the T.E. Hanley collection, a part of Ransom’s strategy included the deliberate effort to collect the new. Ransom once shared this with me while we rode the elevator and reflected over the HRC’s corner fountains. Ransom’s “modern titles” approach bent this young library science student to define his several ventures in Texana. These ventures included the SWLA’s task force for recommended children’s books, the index to TSLAC’s monthly checklist of state publications, the establishment of the Texas Bibliographical Society’s Texas Current Bibiliography and Index, and ultimately even Will’s Texana Monthly. Such was the influence exposed to the 40-acres students not available elsewhere.
The Texas Book baskets for you history, reminiscences, and anecdotes on or by G.W. Brackenridge, G.W. Littlefield, Robert Vinson, Frank Dobie, Frank Erwin, Américo Paredes, Barbara Jordan, Walter Webb, Willie Morris, Betty Sue Flowers and others.
Richard Holland, bibliographer and Honors lecturer, declares that UT at its 125th anniversary “can justly claim to be a ‘university of the first class.’" Don Carleton, Director of the Center for American History (now including the Barker), declares "This is the first book of its kind in UT's 125-year history," and the "essays depict the University's defining moments while poignantly capturing the spirit of the campus.” They are correct, despite their vestedness.
These collected essays, some old, some new, reveal hallmark persons and incidents in the stairway toward excellence. But then, I’ve orange blood as well.
I turned the bright white pages of the volume and smoothly ran my hand across the pages for pleasure. For me the most intriguing essay, by Richard Oram, backgrounds Harry Ransom’s foundation of the great collection he amassed. Although Oram’s essay dwells on Ransom’s mid-1950’s pursuit of the older classics, especially the T.E. Hanley collection, a part of Ransom’s strategy included the deliberate effort to collect the new. Ransom once shared this with me while we rode the elevator and reflected over the HRC’s corner fountains. Ransom’s “modern titles” approach bent this young library science student to define his several ventures in Texana. These ventures included the SWLA’s task force for recommended children’s books, the index to TSLAC’s monthly checklist of state publications, the establishment of the Texas Bibliographical Society’s Texas Current Bibiliography and Index, and ultimately even Will’s Texana Monthly. Such was the influence exposed to the 40-acres students not available elsewhere.
The Texas Book baskets for you history, reminiscences, and anecdotes on or by G.W. Brackenridge, G.W. Littlefield, Robert Vinson, Frank Dobie, Frank Erwin, Américo Paredes, Barbara Jordan, Walter Webb, Willie Morris, Betty Sue Flowers and others.
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