Centennial Series of the Association of Former Students, Texas a&M University – serie

This volume is the definitive guide to one of the great surviving battleships of World War II, visited by thousands of tourists each year at its berth near Houston. Filled with contemporary photographs of the ship from stem to stem, as well as historical shots, ""Battleship Texas"" will fascinate anyone interested in naval history and in one of Texas' best-loved state park attractions.

Historians have amply recorded the battles and the Anglo-Americans' military, economic, and political domination of the Mexican lands after 1836. But few studies have documented the reverse flow in the interchange while Anglo and Mexican co-existed under the Mexican flag in the previous years. Andrés Tijerina's book, focusing on Texas between 1821 and 1836, provides background facts for a better understanding of the exchange of land, power, culture, and social institutions that took place between the Anglo-American frontier and the Hispanic frontier during those critical years. To be sure, the dramatic shift in land and resources greatly affected the Mexican, but it had its effect on the Anglo American as well. After the 1820s, many of the Anglo-American pioneers changed from buckskin-clad farmers to cattle ranchers who wore boots and ""cowboy"" hats. They learned to ride heavy Mexican saddles mounted on horses taken from the wild mustang herds of Texas. They drove great herds of longhorns north and westward, spreading the Mexican life-style and ranch economy as they went. With the cattle ranch went many words, practices, and legal principles that had been developed long before by the native Mexicans of Texas--the Tejanos. In this book, Andrés Tijerina documents the two-way cultural exchange in the years under the Mexican flag. It describes the basic institutions of Tejano life and culture, and it documents their transmission to the Anglo-American frontier. The work is a foundation for the study of the early Mexican-American culture in Texas and its influence on Texans of all ethnic backgrounds.

Entering World War II as the second of the great Essexclass carriers, the Lexington destroyed more than one thousand Japanese aircraft, sank more than a million tons of enemy shipping in the Pacific, and was the first American warship to enter Tokyo Bay in victory. Decommissioned on November 8, 1991, the Lexington was the last World War II - era aircraft carrier to retire from duty. This complete photographic tour of the ship, now a museum in Corpus Christi, Texas, gives readers a close look at the technological wonders and history of U.S. Naval aviation.

The life of a cowboy was hardly glamorous. Poorly fed, underpaid, overworked, deprived of sleep, and prone to boredom and loneliness, cowboys choked in the dust, were cold at night, and suffered broken bones in falls and spills from horses. African American cowboys, however, also had to survive discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice. From scattered courthouse records, writings, and interviews with a few of the African American cowhands who were part of the history of Texas, Sara R. Massey and a host of writers have retrieved the little known stories of some of these cowboys.

Jack Jackson chronicles in rich detail the hundred years of Spanish ranching that came before Mexico, and subsequently Texas, gained independence. From the introduction of livestock into the province by various early entradas (expeditions), to the first big roundup in 1787, and beyond, he traces the development of the range and of cattle working. He shows the feral increase of the early herds, the conflicts over ownership of the wild animals (mestenos), the emergence of Spanish ""dynasties,"" and the attempts of colonial governments to regulate the industry. Although some scholars have attributed western ranching practices largely to the influence of Anglo settlers, Jackson meticulously traces both stock and stock raising techniques to their origins in Spanish Texas. Describing the founding of the first Anglo ranches in Texas, he carefully shows their adaptation of Hispanic cattle culture in the brands used, the market exploited, and the emerging lifestyle.

Though often consigned to the footnotes of history, African American women are a significant part of the rich, multiethnic heritage of Texas and the United States. Until now, though, their story has frequently been fragmented and underappreciated.""Black Women in Texas History"" draws together a multi-author narrative of the experiences and impact of black American women from the time of slavery until the recent past. Each chapter, written by an expert on the era, provides a readable survey and overview of the lives and roles of black Texas women during that period. Each provides careful documentation, which, along with the thorough bibliography compiled by the volume editors, will provide a starting point for others wanting to build on this important topic.The authors address significant questions about population demographics, employment patterns, family and social dimensions, legal and political rights, and individual accomplishments. They look not only at how African American women have been shaped by the larger culture but also at how these women have, in turn, affected the culture and history of Texas. This work situates African American women within the context of their times and offers a due appreciation and analysis of their lives and accomplishments.""Black Women in Texas History"" is an important addition to history and sociology curriculums as well as black studies and women's studies programs. It will provide for interested students, scholars, and general readers a comprehensive survey of the crucial role these women played in shaping the history of the Lone Star State.

For more than fifty years, the Memorial Student Center - the MSC - has served as the 'living room' of the Texas A&M University campus. But aside from its role as a lounge, dining, and recreational facility for students, the MSC has fostered student programs that have played a vital role in Texas A&M's transformation from an all-male, all-military, rural college to a university internationally recognized for excellence in a variety of fields. Conceived as a memorial to Aggies who lost their lives in the two world wars when it opened its doors in September 1950, the MSC eventually became far more than just a monument to fallen comrades. The MSC and the programs initiated by its first director, J. Wayne Stark, helped the university expand its focus to include students not in the Corps of Cadets - such as returning veterans and, eventually, women and other civilian students. Author Amy Bacon surveys the development of two functions that quickly became vital to the mission of the Memorial Student Center: its role as a leadership laboratory, especially for non-military students; and its centerpiece location as a place of extracurricular, cultural, and intellectual enrichment.This attractively illustrated book draws heavily on recorded oral histories, archives, and extensive interviews with key administrative leaders and students, both former and current. "Building Leaders, Living Traditions" narrates the story of an institution that has transformed and enriched the lives of tens of thousands of Aggie students and is poised to continue its vital mission for decades to come.

"Adams has skillfully analyzed hundreds of primary source documents and integrated contemporary political, social and cultural elements in bringing to light the values, customs, and controversies which have shaped the Corps' 125-year history."

African American women have played significant roles in the ongoing struggle for freedom and equality, but relatively little is known about many of these leaders and activists.Most accounts of the civil rights movement focus on male leaders and the organizations they led, leaving a dearth of information about the countless black women who were the backbone of the struggle in local communities across the country. At the local level women helped mold and shape the direction the movement would take. Lulu B. White was one of those women in the civil rights movement in Texas.Executive secretary of the Houston branch of the NAACP and state director of branches, White was a significant force in the struggle against Jim Crow during the 1940s and 1950s. She was at the helm of the Houston chapter when the Supreme Court struck down the white primary in Smith v. Allbright, and she led the fight to get more blacks elected to public office, to gain economic parity for African Americans, and to integrate the University of Texas.Author Merline Pitre places White in her proper perspective in Texas, Southern, African American, women's, and general American history; points to White's successes and achievements, as well as the problems and conflicts she faced in efforts to eradicate segregation; and looks at the strategies and techniques White used in her leadership roles.Pitre effectively places White within the context of twentieth-century Houston and the civil rights movement that was gripping the state. In Struggle Against Jim Crow is pertinent to the understanding of race, gender, interest group politics, and social reform during this turbulent era.

Now in paperback and with a new preface, this is a richly illustrated account of this ship's long career. It will be of interest to maritime historians and preservationists.

In 1718, the Spanish settled San Antonio, partly because of its prolific and breathtaking springs—at that time, one of the largest natural spring systems in the known world. The abundance of fresh water, coupled with the Spanish colonial legal concept that water was to be equitably shared by all settlers, led to the building of the system of acequias (canals or ditches) within the settlement. The system is one of the earliest and perhaps most extensive municipal water systems in North America. This book offers a meticulous chronicling of the origins and often-contentious development of water rights in San Antonio from its Spanish settlement through the beginning of the twentieth century.

Cowboy spurs are a pure form of American folk art. Like the cowboy himself, the way spurs developed was molded by their use and the environment of the range, along with a generous dose of individualism and pride. Cowboy Spurs and Their Makers tells for the first time the fascinating story of this western art and the artisans who professional historians, and westerners and valuable reference for identifying spurs used by riders of Texas and the Southwest.A visit with contemporary spur maker Jerry Lindley, with pictures of him at work, traces the process and mechanics of hand forging spurs and decorating them by the overlay method. Individual chapters are devoted to the most prominent makers of cowboy spurs—manufacturers Buermann and North & Judd, the spur and bit companies of Crockett, Shipley, and Kelly, and hometown blacksmiths such as Bianchi, Causey, and the Boone clan. In lively detail their histories unfold, along with helpful descriptions of their techniques and most representative spurs. Eighty-five black-and-white photographs and twelve color plates lavishly illustrate the spurs and their makers. An appendix lists many other artisans, past and present, with the locations of their shops and the identifying characteristics of their products. This book will become a standard reference for students, historians, and general readers alike—for everyone who values the important contribution of the cowboy to our cultural heritage and of the blacksmith who shaped the cowboy's badge of honor, his spurs.

Beginning with tribal wars among Native Americans before Europeans settled Texas and continuing through the Civil War, the soil of what would become the Lone Star State has frequently been stained by the blood of those contesting for control of its resources. In subsequent years and continuing to the present, its citizens have often taken up arms beyond its borders in pursuit of political values and national defense. Although historians have studied the role of the state and its people in war for well over a century, a wealth of topics remain that deserve greater attention: Tejanos in World War II, the common Texas soldier’s interaction with foreign enemies, the perception of Texas warriors throughout the world, the role of religion among Texans who fight or contemplate fighting, controversial paramilitary groups in Texas, the role and effects of Texans’ ethnicity, culture, and gender during wartime, to name a few. In Texans at War , fourteen scholars provide new studies, perspectives, and historiographies to extend the understanding of this important field. One of the largest collections of original scholarship on this topic to date, Texans and War will stimulate useful conversation and research among historians, students, and interested general readers. In addition, the breadth and originality of its contributions provide a solid overview of emerging perspectives on the military history and historiography of Texas and the region. CONTENTS List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 Alexander Mendoza and Charles David Grear PART I. Texans Fighting through Time: Thematic Topics 1. The Indian Wars of Texas: A Lipan Apache Perspective 17 Thomas A Britten 2. Tejanos at War: A History of Mexican Texans in American Wars 38 Alexander Mendoza 3. Texas Women at War 69 Melanie A Kirkland 4. The Influence of War and Military Service on African Texans 97 Alwyn Barr 5. The Patriot-Warrior Mystique: John S. Brooks, Walter P. Lane, Samuel H. Walker, and the Adventurous Quest for Renown 113 Jimmy L. Bryan Jr. 6. ""All Eyes of Texas Are on Comal County"": German Texans' Loyalty during the Civil War and World War I 133 Charles David Grear PART II. Wars in Texas History: Chronological Conflicts 7. Between Imperial Warfare: Crossing of the Smuggling Frontier and Transatlantic Commerce on the Louisiana-Texas Borderlands, 1754-1785 157 Francis X. Galan 8. The Mexican-American War: Reflections on an Overlooked Conflict 178 Kendall Milton 9. The Prolonged War: Texans Struggle to Win the Civil War during Reconstruction 196 Kenneth W. Howell 10. The Texas lmmunes in the Spanish-American War 213 James M. McCaffrey 11. Surveillance on the Border: American Intelligence and the Tejano Community during World War I 227 Jose A. Ramirez 12. Texan Prisoners of the Japanese: A Study in Survival 248 Kelly E. Crager 13. Lyndon B. Johnson's Bitch of a War: An Antiwar Essay 269 James M. Smallwood 14. Black Paradox in the Age of Terrorism: Military Patriotism or Higher Education? 283 Ronald E. Goodwin Contributors 297 Index 301

Beginning with tribal wars among Native Americans before Europeans settled Texas and continuing through the Civil War, the soil of what would become the Lone Star State has frequently been stained by the blood of those contesting for control of its resources. In subsequent years and continuing to the present, its citizens have often taken up arms beyond its borders in pursuit of political values and national defense. Although historians have studied the role of the state and its people in war for well over a century, a wealth of topics remain that deserve greater attention: Tejanos in World War II, the common Texas soldier’s interaction with foreign enemies, the perception of Texas warriors throughout the world, the role of religion among Texans who fight or contemplate fighting, controversial paramilitary groups in Texas, the role and effects of Texans’ ethnicity, culture, and gender during wartime, to name a few. In Texans at War , fourteen scholars provide new studies, perspectives, and historiographies to extend the understanding of this important field. One of the largest collections of original scholarship on this topic to date, Texans and War will stimulate useful conversation and research among historians, students, and interested general readers. In addition, the breadth and originality of its contributions provide a solid overview of emerging perspectives on the military history and historiography of Texas and the region. CONTENTS List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 Alexander Mendoza and Charles David Grear PART I. Texans Fighting through Time: Thematic Topics 1. The Indian Wars of Texas: A Lipan Apache Perspective 17 Thomas A Britten 2. Tejanos at War: A History of Mexican Texans in American Wars 38 Alexander Mendoza 3. Texas Women at War 69 Melanie A Kirkland 4. The Influence of War and Military Service on African Texans 97 Alwyn Barr 5. The Patriot-Warrior Mystique: John S. Brooks, Walter P. Lane, Samuel H. Walker, and the Adventurous Quest for Renown 113 Jimmy L. Bryan Jr. 6. ""All Eyes of Texas Are on Comal County"": German Texans' Loyalty during the Civil War and World War I 133 Charles David Grear PART II. Wars in Texas History: Chronological Conflicts 7. Between Imperial Warfare: Crossing of the Smuggling Frontier and Transatlantic Commerce on the Louisiana-Texas Borderlands, 1754-1785 157 Francis X. Galan 8. The Mexican-American War: Reflections on an Overlooked Conflict 178 Kendall Milton 9. The Prolonged War: Texans Struggle to Win the Civil War during Reconstruction 196 Kenneth W. Howell 10. The Texas lmmunes in the Spanish-American War 213 James M. McCaffrey 11. Surveillance on the Border: American Intelligence and the Tejano Community during World War I 227 Jose A. Ramirez 12. Texan Prisoners of the Japanese: A Study in Survival 248 Kelly E. Crager 13. Lyndon B. Johnson's Bitch of a War: An Antiwar Essay 269 James M. Smallwood 14. Black Paradox in the Age of Terrorism: Military Patriotism or Higher Education? 283 Ronald E. Goodwin Contributors 297 Index 301

During an excavation in the 1950s, the bones of a prehistoric woman were discovered in Midland County, Texas. Archaeologists dubbed the woman “Midland Minnie”. Some believed her age to be between 20,000 and 37,000 years, making her remains the oldest ever found in the Western Hemisphere. While the accuracy of this date remains disputed, the find, along with countless others, demonstrates the wealth of human history that is buried beneath Texas soil.By the time the Europeans arrived in Texas in 1528, Native Texans included the mound-building Caddos of East Texas; Karankawas and Atakapas who fished the Texas coast; town-dwelling Jumanos along the Rio Grande; hunting-gathering Coahuiltecans in South Texas; and corn-growing Wichitas in the Panhandle. All of these native peoples had developed structures, traditions, governments, religions, and economies enabling them to take advantage of the land’s many resources. The arrival of Europeans brought horses, metal tools and weapons, new diseases and new ideas, all of which began to reshape the lives of Texas Indians.Over time, Texas became a home to horse-mounted, buffalo-hunting Apaches, Comanches, and Kiowas and a refuge for Puebloan Tiguas, Alabama-Coushattas, Kickapoos and many others. These groups traded, shared ideas, fought and made peace with one another as well as peoples outside of Texas. This book tells the story of all of these groups, their societies and cultures, and how they changed over the years.Author David La Vere offers a complete chronological and cultural history of Texas Indians from 12,000 years ago to the present day. He presents a unique view of their cultural history before and after European arrival, examining their interactions—both peaceful and violent—with Europeans, Mexicans, Texans, and Americans. This book is the first full examination of the history of Texas Indians in over forty years and will appeal to all of those with an interest in Native Americans and the history of Texas.

In times of war . . . in times of peace . . . in times of sweeping social change . . . a leader for all seasons . . .Whether scaling the seemingly insurmountable cliffs of Pointe du Hoc with his advance assault troops during the Normandy invasion, restoring integrity to the Texas Land Office, or overseeing transitions in an academic institution with hallowed traditions during a time of contentious cultural change, James Earl Rudder (1910–1970) forged a legacy of wartime gallantry and peacetime leadership that commands continuing respect. Rudder: From Leader to Legend pays tribute to a man who exemplified leadership, vision, and courage.In this first comprehensive biography of James Earl Rudder, Thomas M. Hatfield has gone far beyond the usual focus on Rudder’s heroism in World War II to recreate with rich detail exciting events on battlefields and in boardrooms. He has painted a full portrait that permits a wider appreciation for every phase of Rudder’s early life, from childhood, to his storied military exploits, to his remarkable postwar achievements and far-reaching public service. Utilizing access to previously unavailable family papers, memoirs, and interviews, Hatfield has crafted an insightful and unsparing view of the man that applauds his accomplishments and reveals his foibles.Readers who know Rudder primarily through his association with Texas A&M University will be fascinated by his courageous battlefield leadership; those who previously knew only of his military reputation will enjoy learning about his distinguished record of public service. Rudder: From Leader to Legend will captivate a broad general readership, bringing to the fore a well-rounded view of this extraordinary man.

This expanded edition of Texas A&M University: A Pictorial History gives a panoramic view of Texas A&M, from its infancy as a college with 48 agricultural and mechanical (engineering) students to today's diverse campus of more than forty thousand students.Captured in full-color photographs are the modern university, its buildings, its far-reaching programs, and its students. The book is also a gallery of Aggie greats—on the battlefields of five wars; on the athletic fields; in industry, agriculture, science, and civic leadership. Historical photos show visits by Presidents William H. Taft, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George H. W. Bush; preparations for military actions of World Wars I and II; the 1939 national championship football team; and the campus filming of the 1943 World War II movie ""We’ve Never Been Licked.

In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. Impeached provides a new examination of the rise and fall of Ferguson’s political fortunes, offering a focused look at how battles over economic class, academic freedom, women’s enfranchisement, and concentrated political power came to be directed toward one politician.Jessica Brannon-Wranosky and Bruce A. Glasrud have brought together top scholars to shine a light on this unique chapter in Texas history. An overview by John R. Lundberg offers a comprehensive survey of the impeachment process. Kay Reed Arnold then follows the Ferguson story into the halls of academia at the University of Texas—which Ferguson threatened to close—sparking a fierce response by faculty, alumni, students, and, especially, the Women’s Committee for Good Government. Rachel M. Gunter further places the Ferguson impeachment in the context of the suffrage movement. Leah LaGrone Ochoa then explores Ferguson’s hot-and-cold relationship with the Texas press, and Mark Stanley examines the impact of the impeachment on Texas politics in the decades that followed. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky concludes with an assessment of the historical memory of Ferguson's impeachment throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Ferguson, reveals how power ebbed and flowed in twentieth-century Texas and includes several annotated primary documents critical to understanding the Ferguson impeachment.

In this annotated diary, Sallie McNeill chronicles thoughts, observations, and details of her daily life during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. This remarkably well-preserved document tells McNeill's story from her days as a student in the female department of Baylor College at Independence until her death in 1867. McNeill's story—common to the era and place and still intensely personal—lets readers glimpse the numbing expectations of a young woman's proper behavior, moral referencing of those living under the influence of the second Great Awakening, intellectual questions posed by the education of the day, and the lifestyle of the planter class at the margins of its geographical reach.

They always win the halftime. Members of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, embodying the spirit, camaraderie, and excellence of the school they represent, have marched and played proudly for 125 years. Here is the story of the music, the precision, and the tradition of the exceptional band that marches to the beat pulsing through the spirit of Aggieland.Illustrated throughout with historical and contemporary images, this lively history pays tribute to the bandmasters and musicians who have made this organization the pride of Aggies everywhere. Organized around the tenure of its founder, Joseph Holick, and its directors-Richard J. Dunn, E. V. Adams, Joe T. Haney,  Ray E. Toler, and Timothy B. Rhea-the book marches through 125 years of tradition and excellence.From the birth of the band, through the development of its marching style, to its most recent triumphs of precision maneuvers and military music, the story is as bold and bright as the band itself. War years, fish bands, boots, band lyres, corps trips, parades, and other traditions known and loved by former band members and other former students of Texas A&M University fill the book's pages. An appendix lists all of the band's eight thousand-plus present and former members.This is the story of the determination, discipline, and enduring pride that rests deep in the heart of those young men and women who have been tough enough, proud enough, and good enough to be the noble men and women of Kyle.

The first openly transgender judge to be appointed in the United States, the first attorney to obtain corrected birth certificates for transgender people who had not undergone gender confirmation surgery, a survivor of conversion therapy, and author of a law review article that helped thousands of employers adopt supportive policies for their workers, Phyllis Frye is truly a pioneer in the fight for transgender rights.Among her many accomplishments, Frye founded the first national organization devoted to shaping transgender law—the International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy, which has since created a body of work that includes the International Bill of Gender Rights—trained a cadre of future trans activists, and built the first national movement for transgender legal and political rights.Based on interviews with Frye, Phyllis Frye and the Fight for Transgender Rights covers her early life, the discrimination she faced while struggling with her identity—including being discharged from the army and fired from a subsequent job at her alma mater, Texas A&M—her transition in 1976, her many years of activism, and her current position as an associate judge for the municipal courts of Houston.This gripping account of Frye’s efforts to establish and protect the constitutional rights of transgender individuals not only fills a gap in existing histories of LGBTQ+ activism but will also inform and instruct contemporary trans activists.