NationMaster - Encyclopedia: J. Frank Dobie

James Frank Dobie (September 26, 1888–September 18, 1964) was an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open range. As a public figure, he was known in his lifetime for his outspoken liberal views against Texas state politics, and for his long personal war against what he saw as bragging Texans, religious prejudice, restraints on individual liberty, and the assault of the mechanized world on the human spirit. He was also instrumental in the saving of the Texas Longhorn breed of cattle from extinction. September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Folkloristics is the formal academic study of folklore such as fairy tales and folk mythology in oral or non-literary traditions. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... Open Range is a 2003 movie based on the novel The Open Range Men by Lauran Paine. ... Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... The Texas longhorn, defined and refined by nature, is ecologically adapted to the sparse and rugged grazing land of Texas. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (often called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ...

Biography

Early years

Dobie was born on a ranch in Live Oak County, Texas and was the eldest of six children. When he was young, his father, Richard, read to him from the Bible while his mother, Ella, read to him from stories such as Ivanhoe and Pilgrim's Progress. At 16, Dobie moved to Alice, where he lived with his grandparents and finished high school. In 1906, he enrolled in Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where he was introduced to English poetry by a professor, who urged him to become a writer. While in college he also met Bertha McKee, whom he married in 1916. Live Oak County is a county located in the state of Texas. ... The Bible is the collection of sacred writings or books of Judaism and Christianity. ... For other uses, see Ivanhoe (disambiguation). ... The Pilgrims Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come by John Bunyan (published 1678) is an allegorical novel. ... Alice is a city located in Jim Wells County, Texas, United States. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. ... Georgetown is a city in Williamson County, Texas, United States. ... Many regard William Shakespeare as the greatest English poet. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

After he graduated in 1910, Dobie worked briefly for newspapers in San Antonio and Galveston, before gaining his first teaching job at a high school in Alpine. In 1911, he returned to Georgetown to teach at the Southwestern Preparatory School, and in 1913, he went to Columbia University in New York City to work on a master's degree. In 1914, he returned to Texas to join the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin, and joined the Texas Folklore Society. In 1917, he left the university to serve in the field artillery in World War I. He was briefly sent overseas at the end of the war and was discharged in 1919. 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Nickname: Alamo City; River City Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Counties Bexar County Government - Mayor Phil Hardberger Area - City 412. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas County Galveston Government - Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas Area - City 539. ... Alpine is a city located in Brewster County, Texas. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Columbia University is a private research university in the United States. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is a doctoral/research university located in Austin, Texas. ... The Texas Folklore Society is a non-profit organization formed in 1909. ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Artillery with Gabion fortification Cannons on display at Fort Point Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Firing of an 18-pound gun, Louis-Philippe Crepin, (1772 â€“ 1851) A forge-welded Iron Cannon in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. ... â€œThe Great Warâ€ redirects here. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Early writing career

Dobie began to publish his first articles in 1919. In 1920, he left the faculty at the University of Texas to work his uncle's ranch in La Salle County, where he discovered a desire to put the rich experience of Texas ranch life and southwestern folklore into words. Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... La Salle County is a county located in the state of Texas. ...

After a year on the ranch, he returned to the University of Texas and began to use its library and the resources of the Texas Folklore Society to write articles about the vanishing way of life on rural Texas ranches. In 1922, he became secretary of the Texas Folklore Society and began a program for publication. He held the post of secretary-editor of the society for 21 years. Unable to get a promotion without a Ph.D., in 1923 Dobie accepted a job at Oklahoma A&M University as the chair of the English department. While in Oklahoma, he wrote for the Country Gentleman. He returned to Austin in 1925 after receiving a token promotion with the help of his friends. Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Oklahoma State University Logo The Oklahoma State University System comprises of five educational instututes across Oklahoma. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ...

After returning to Austin, he published his first book, A Vaquero of the Brush Country in 1929, which helped establish him as a voice about Texas and southwestern culture. The book was based on autobiographical notes by John Young, an open-range vaquero who had fought against the encroachment of barbed wire. In 1930 he published Coronado's Children, a collection of folklore about lost mines and lost treasures. This was followed by a series of books in the 1930s, leading up to the publication in 1941 of The Longhorns, which is considered one of the best descriptions of the traditions of the Texas Longhorn cattle breed during the 19th century. 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... American cowboy circa 1887 A cowhand tends livestock, especially cattle. ... A selection of forms of barbed wire. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... The 1930s (years from 1930â€“1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to six feet in width and have a slight upward turn at their tips, as well as for their distinctive burnt orange coloring. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1939, Dobie began publishing a Sunday newspaper column in which he routinely poked fun at Texas politics. A liberal Democrat, he often found an easy target for his words in state politicians. Regarding state politics, he once wrote, "When I get ready to explain homemade fascism in America, I can take my example from the state capitol of Texas." 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... This article does not adequately cite its references. ...

Later writing career

During World War II, he taught American history at Cambridge University and returned to Europe after the war to teach in England, Germany, and Austria. He later wrote of his experiences at Cambridge in his book A Texan in England. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() â€“ on the European continent() â€“ in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification - by Athelstan 967 Area...

In 1944, after a fellow professor was fired from the University of Texas for his liberal views, Dobie became outraged, leading to a statement by Texas governor Coke Stevenson that Dobie should be dismissed. Dobie's subsequent request for an extension of his leave-of-absence was rejected and he was dismissed. 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Texas politician Coke Stevenson Coke Robert Stevenson (March 20, 1888–June 28, 1975) was a U.S. political figure. ...

After his dismissal from the University of Texas, Dobie published another series of books and anthologies of stories about the open range. On September 14, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson awarded him the Medal of Freedom. Dobie died four days later on September 18. His funeral was held in Hogg Auditorium on the University of Texas Campus and he was buried in the Texas State Cemetery. September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... â€œLBJâ€ redirects here. ... The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States. ... // The Texas State Cemetery is a cemetery located on about 22 acres (9 hectares) just east of downtown Austin, the capital of Texas. ...

Legacy

Dobie Paisano Fellowship

In 1959, after a severe illness, Dobie sold his ranch in Marble Falls and bought a 254 acre ranch fourteen miles southwest of Austin, which he named "Paisano." He used the ranch as a writer's retreat until his death in 1964. A movement to preserve the ranch was started shortly after, and, by 1966, the deed was handed over to the University of Texas. Marble Falls is a city in Burnet County, Texas, United States. ...

Its mission was stated as "Paisano will be operated by the University as a permanent memorial to J. Frank Dobie, and the primary use will be to encourage creative artistic effort in all fields, particularly in writing. It will be kept in its present more or less natural state and the ranch house will be kept in simple style, very much as it was when Frank Dobie occupied it." Two fellowships of six months each are awarded by a committee chosen by the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Institute of Letters. The applicants must be native Texans, or Texas residents for at least two years, or persons whose writing is substantially identified with the state.

Buildings named in his honor

J. Frank Dobie High School is a public secondary school located at 10220 Blackhawk in Houston, Texas with a ZIP code of 77089. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Incorporated June 5, 1837 Government - Mayor Bill White Area - City 601. ... Cibolo is a city located in Texas. ... Nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Travis County, Williamson County Government - Mayor Will Wynn Area - City 296. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall Incorporated 2 February 1856 Government - Mayor Laura Miller Area - City 385. ... Dobie Center Named after J. Frank Dobie, Dobie Center is a privately owned twenty-seven story residence hall located next to the University of Texas at Austin campus. ... Nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Travis County, Williamson County Government - Mayor Will Wynn Area - City 296. ...

List of works

Many of Dobie's works are featured in Ramon Adams' Six-Guns and Saddle Leather and The Rampaging Herd, two well respected bibliographic works on the history of the American West and the cattle industry. The Western United States, also referred to as the American West or simply The West, traditionally refers to the region constituting the westernmost states of the United States (see geographical terminology section for further discussion of these terms). ...

Quotes

External links

Categories: 1888 births | 1964 deaths | People from Austin, Texas | American folklorists | History of Texas | Texas writers | University of Texas at Austin faculty | Folklore writers The Handbook of Texas (ISBN 0-87611-151-7) is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published jointly by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) and the General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin. ... Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive, and distribute cultural works. ... Houston redirects here. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ...

Contents

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