Finding Aids

Guide to MS406 Rio Grande Compact Commission Records

Eva Ross et al. — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:33:40 PDT

The Rio Grande Compact Commission was formed as a result of the interstate compact signed by the states of Colorado, New Mexico and Texas in 1938 and approved by Congress. The Texas commission’s goal is to implement the compact by assuring the equitable apportioning of waters from the Rio Grande Basin. The collection contains correspondence, reports, tables, maps, and photographs that reflect the activities of the Texas office of the Rio Grande Compact Commission. Past Commissioners include Frank B. Clayton, Julian P. Harrison, J. E. Quaid, Louis A. Scott, and Joe Hanson. Commissioner as of June, 2012 is Patrick Gordon

Guide to MS147 Otto H. Thorman Records

Rose Hillbrand — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:01:43 PDT

Architect Otto H. Thorman was born on April 12, 1887 in Missouri. He moved to El Paso in 1911 where he set up his architectural business. Thorman remained in El Paso and practiced architecture until his death on March 11,1966. Many of Thorman’s designs were in the Pueblo and Spanish styles, and his work wasmainly residential, although he did some commercial designs such as the Woman’s Club of El Paso, the El Paso Free Public Library, and the pavilion for the Liberty Statue in Pioneer Plaza. The Otto H. Thorman papers, 1910-1964, contain records kept by O. H. Thorman during his career as an architect in the Southwest. The collection contains architectural records, such as drawings, blueprints, photographs, surveys, elevations, structural details, and sketches done by clients. Most of the designs are for residences, but there are some commercial buildings included.

Guide to MS041 Wilbert H. Timmons Papers

Leilani Marshall — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 07:01:49 PDT

Wilbert Helde Timmons was born in 1915 in Springfield, Missouri. After serving in the United States Navy as an officer during World War II, he attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he received a Ph. D. in Latin American History in 1949. That same year, W.H. Timmons arrived in El Paso to teach history at Texas Western College, now the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). During his years at the university, Dr. Timmons was an avid researcher and writer on Mexican and Texan history, particularly El Paso history. He published many articles and scholarly works, as well as several books, including Morelos of México, Tadeo Ortiz, Mexican Colonizer and Reformer. His most popular and well-known work is El Paso: A Borderlands History. The Wilbert H. Timmons papers (1584-1992, bulk 1949 – 1990) are composed primarily of the research papers used by Dr. Timmons during his decades of study of the El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua area. These documents include photocopies and photostats of published material, maps, transparencies, transcriptions of letters, official documents, oral histories, newspaper clippings, student papers, theses, computer disks, and photographs. The collection is organized into six series.

Guide to MS141 C. L. Sonnichsen Papers

Sarah Ashton — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 07:01:48 PDT

Charles Leland Sonnichsen was born on September 20, 1901 to Henry Matthew and Mary Hults Sonnichsen in Fonda, Iowa. Sonnichsen received his Ph.D. in English from Harvard University in 1931 and accepted a teaching job at the College of Mines and Metallurgy in the English department that same year. He taught at UTEP until his retirement in June 1972. During his tenure in the Southwest, Sonnichsen was the President of the Texas Folklore Society (1935-1936), President of the Western Literature Association (1966), President of the Texas Association of Graduate Schools (1966-1967), Sheriff of the El Paso Remuda of the Westerners (1967), President of the Western Writers of America (1977), President of the Western History Association (1966), and a member of the Executive Council of the Southwestern Literature Association. He also authored several classic histories of El Paso. The C. L. Sonnichsen Papers, span dates 1861-1991, bulk 1921-1991, consist primarily of research materials, correspondence and manuscripts dealing with the books Sonnichsen wrote over a fifty year period. Included are correspondence, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, photographs, maps, scrapbooks, oral history interviews, research notes, theses, pamphlets, cassette and magnetic tapes, notecards, published material, personal materials that deal mostly with his education and teaching experience, and awards.

Guide to MS145 John J. Middagh Papers

Heather Lindsay — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 07:01:45 PDT

On January 2, 1916, John Judy Middagh, Jr. was born to John Judy Middagh and Reba Fowler Middagh, in Lawrenceville, Illinois. He obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri in 1938 and, after graduation, he worked at The Oklahoma News as a paper, boy and reporter until the paper ceased publication in 1939. Middagh then returned to The Odessa News-Times, and worked from June to September, 1939, when he left to, join the staff of the El Paso Herald-Post. When he returned from WWII, Middagh went back to work as a reporter and, telegraph editor at The El Paso Herald-Post until he joined the faculty of Texas Western College in September 1948 where he taught journalism. Middagh eventually became,the co-chairman of the Department of Journalism and Radio-Television, which was renamed the Department of Mass Communication. He was also director of the College's Student Publications. The John J. Middagh Papers, 1893-1973, bulk 1950-1972, consists primarily of research files collected and organized by Middagh over the course of his career as a reporter and journalism professor. His primary research was the history of El Paso; he also had files on current events of the times, such as Communist Propaganda, John F. Kennedy, and the first moon landing.

Guide to MS295 J. Carl Hertzog Papers

Angela Fritz — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:40:20 PDT

Jean Carl Hertzog, book designer, typographer, and printer, was born in Lyons, France, on February 8, 1902. At the age of twenty-one, Carl Hertzog began working for the Owl Printing Shop, a small commercial printing firm in Wheeling, West Virginia. Later that year, Hertzog answered an advertisement in the trade journal, the Inlander Press, which brought him to El Paso as a printer for W.S. McMath & Company. In 1948, Hertzog became a lecturer in the Art, English, Advertising, and Journalism departments at the Texas College of Mines. "Bookology" and "The World of Books" were courses taught by Carl Hertzog. During this same period, Hertzog founded the college print shop that later became Texas Western Press. Along with producing regional literary projects, Hertzog was also responsible for the College's printing needs, which included revising the college catalog, creating programs for various departments, and producing special tributes, letterhead, and bulletins for Texas Western College. Hertzog's directorship of Texas Western Press also marked the production of "Southwestern Studies," a college press quarterly publication, which began in 1963. The papers document Carl Hertzog's professional activities from 1921 to1984 and sections of his personal life from birth to middle age. The majority of the papers reflect Hertzog's general business affairs regarding printing requests, project designs, and material acquisition. The correspondence in the personal papers series contains a description of Hertzog's family and childhood. As a whole, the papers create an overall view of Hertzog's professional activities as a printer, typographer, and book designer.

Guide to MS556 Escajeda Family Papers

Abbie Weiser — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:53:35 PST

The Escajedas, an early El Paso pioneer family, originally came to the El Paso area from Spain. In 1818 the family received a land grant from King Ferdinand VII of Spain, which was later approved by the Mexican government in 1822, and settled in San Elizario and Ysleta. The Escajeda family papers date 1818 – 2005, bulk 1880 – 1932. Types of records include correspondence, photographs, county records, deeds, legal documents, clippings, a family bible, and other printed material. Arranged in five series (Family members, Family history, Photographs, El Paso and Border Region history, and County and other legal records), these records document the lives and activities of the Escajeda family and the history of El Paso during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Guide to MS001 The University of Texas at El Paso Collection -- Master Guide

Abbie Weiser — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:49:10 PST

Guide to MS423 Maud Durlin Sullivan Papers

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:46:05 PST

Born in Wisconsin, Maud Durlin Sullivan (1870 – 1943), served as librarian of the El Paso Public Library for over thirty years where she became one of the most important public librarians in the Southwest. She mentored and helped the careers of El Paso artists and writers, such as Tom Lea and Carl Hertzog, and provided the city of El Paso with a culturally rich, functional, and public-oriented library. The Maud Durlin Sullivan papers date 1783, 1872 – 1977, bulk 1926 – 1943. Types of records include correspondence, notes, clippings, speeches, programs, photographs, proclamations, publications, and other printed material. Arranged in six series (Biographical information, Career, Correspondence, Photographs, Publications, and John Kevin Sullivan), these papers document Maud Sullivan’s life, personal and professional relationships in Wisconsin and El Paso, activities and interests, and career in librarianship.

Guide to MS114 Laurence E. Stevens Papers

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:43:28 PST

Born in Lordsburg, New Mexico on April 6, 1895, Laurence Edwin Stevens (1895 – 1969) moved to El Paso with his family around 1897. A prominent El Paso businessman, Stevens was involved in the family real estate business along with his father and uncle, Horace B. Stevens, and later had farming interests in El Paso’s Upper Valley. The Laurence E. Stevens papers date 1880s – 1990s, bulk 1910 – 1962. Types of records include correspondence, clippings, publications and other printed material, field notes, real estate records, souvenirs, memorabilia, and photographs. Arranged in five series (El Paso history and souvenirs, Real estate and legal material, Maps, Photographs, and Publications), these papers primarily document late nineteenth- century and early twentieth-century El Paso and Stevens’ real estate and business activities.

Guide to MS551 El Paso Women's Fraternal Organizations Collection

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:40:08 PST

Dr. Rob Morris, known as the Poet Laureate of Masonry, founded the Order of the Eastern Star during the nineteenth century. It is the largest worldwide fraternal organization whose membership includes both men and women. Founded in Seattle, Washington during 1913, the Daughters of the Nile is an international women’s fraternal organization. Members must be eighteen years old and related through birth or marriage to a Shriner, Master Mason, or a Daughter of the Nile. The El Paso Women’s Fraternal Organizations collection dates 1969 – 1982, 2007 – 2008, bulk 1981 – 1982. Arranged in two series, Scrapbooks and Other Material, these records document the activities and membership of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Daughters of the Nile.

Guide to MS386 Belle Christie Critchett Papers

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:33:48 PST

A teacher, writer, suffragist, and political activist, Belle Christie Ferguson Critchett (1868? – 1956), supported and promoted many progressive era-issues of the time, including women’s suffrage and the legal status of women, good citizenship and political reform, maternal health and child welfare, prison reform, prohibition, and the peace movement. The Belle Christie Critchett papers date 1915 – 1968, bulk 1918 – 1935. Types of records include correspondence, clippings, publications and other printed material, maps, posters, songs, a glass lantern slide, and photographs. Arranged in five series (Biographical information, Writing career, League of Women Voters and other women’s suffrage material, Prison reform material, and Other reform issues), these papers document Critchett’s life and career in El Paso, her involvement in the women’s suffrage movement, the League of Women Voters, and participation in other civic and political causes and organizations.

Guide to MS025 Critchett and Ferguson Assayers Records

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:28:56 PST

The Custom Assay Office, also known as Critchett and Ferguson, began in El Paso around 1902 and continued until 1950. Otis A. Critchett (1876? – 1950?) and George W. Ferguson (1872 – 1940) worked as assayers, metallurgists, and chemists for individuals and several mining companies in Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. Critchett and Ferguson (whose sister, Belle, married Critchett in 1901) represented ore shippers, conducted assays and analysis of metals and ores, and did sampling work of car lots at the El Paso smelter. The Critchett and Ferguson Assayers records date 1902 – 1918, bulk 1911 – 1918. Types of records include correspondence, hardcover bound copy books, bills and invoices, and other printed material. Arranged in three series (Correspondence, Account/assay record books, and Other business records), these records document the business activities and assay research and results of the Custom Assay Office, run by Otis A. Critchett and George W. Ferguson.

Guide to MS316 Betty Mary Smith Goetting Papers

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:23:59 PST

Betty Mary Smith Goetting (1897 – 1980) worked as a librarian at the El Paso Public Library and later as the El Paso County Historical Society’s first curator. In addition to her career in librarianship, she helped found the Planned Parenthood Center of El Paso, and actively promoted women’s social, economic, and reproductive rights in the El Paso community. The Betty Mary Smith Goetting papers date 1910 – 1979, bulk 1937 – 1979. Types of records include correspondence, clippings, publications and other printed material, scrapbooks, recordings, and photographs. Arranged in six series (Biographical information, Planned Parenthood material, Other activities, Margaret Sanger correspondence, Scrapbooks, and Photographs and other media), these papers document Goetting’s life and career, her relationship with Margaret Sanger, the Planned Parenthood Center of El Paso, and the birth control movement in El Paso and the United States.

Guide to MS286 Planned Parenthood of El Paso Records

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:19:08 PST

Since 1937 the Planned Parenthood Center of El Paso has provided low-cost reproductive health care, contraceptive advice, community educational materials, and other medical and social services to El Paso women. The Center was founded largely through the efforts of El Pasoan Betty Mary Goetting (1897 – 1980) and is affiliated with the Planned Parenthood League of Texas and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Planned Parenthood of El Paso records date 1907 – 2000s, bulk 1947 – 1974. Types of records include minutes, reports, correspondence, memorandums, clippings, publications and other printed material, scrapbooks, and financial and legal records. Arranged in five series (Administrative, Activities, Publications, Planned Parenthood League of Texas/Southwest Region, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America), these records document Planned Parenthood’s creation, operations, activities, and the history of the birth control movement in El Paso during the 1930s to the 2000s.

Guide to MS474 Archie Waters Papers

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:16:15 PST

Archie Waters (1918 – 2001), journalist, author, and chess expert, moved to El Paso in 1980. After relocating to El Paso, Waters worked as a publicist in the public affairs office at William Beaumont Army Medical Center and then as a clerk-typist for El Paso Police Department headquarters. He also wrote several short articles for the El Paso Herald-Post during the 1980s, and later wrote a regular column for the El Paso Times. An enthusiastic chess player, Waters became the first African-American to be admitted to the prestigious Marshall Chess Club in New York. Waters co-wrote two books on Spanish pool checkers during the late 1940s and wrote columns on chess during the 1960s that were published in several New York community newspapers. During the late 1950s Waters became a mentor to chess prodigy Bobby Fischer in New York. The Archie Waters papers date 1939 – 2001, bulk 1970 – 2000. Types of records include correspondence, clippings, publications and other printed material, notes, story proofs, and photographs. Arranged in seven series (Biographical information, Photographs, Articles by Archie Waters, Story proofs, Topical files, Chess materials, and Publications by others), these papers document Waters’ personal life, career as a journalist, community and political activism in El Paso, and interest and expertise in chess.

Guide to MS001 The University of Texas at El Paso Chicano/a Pre-Law Society Records

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:13:53 PST

Created in 1972, the Chicano/a Pre-Law Society (ChPLS) helps UTEP students pursue their goals of attending law school and achieving a career in the legal field. The UTEP Chicano/a Pre-Law Society records date 2000 – 2001. Types of records include reports, minutes, correspondence, agendas, flyers, and brochures, which primarily document the Raza Youth Conference held in 2001.

Guide to MS478 Abelardo Delgado Collection

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:10:58 PST

Born in Boquilla de Conchos, Chihuahua, Mexico, Abelardo “Lalo” Barrientos Delgado (November 27, 1931 – July 23, 2004) was a teacher, social worker, community organizer, and writer. Delgado and his family moved to El Paso, Texas in 1943. He graduated from Bowie High School in 1950, and later moved to Denver, Colorado during the 1960s. Delgado is best known for his social activism and for his writing career. Beginning in the 1960s he wrote many poems, works of fiction, and essays. Delgado remains an important figure in Chicano literature. The Abelardo Delgado Collection dates 1967 – 2010, bulk 1970s. Types of records include publications, correspondence, writings, clippings, photographs, articles, programs, and other printed material. Arranged in two series (Pamphlet files and compiled notebooks and Writings and other materials), these records help document Delgado’s activities and writings from 1967 to the 2000s as well as the Chicano movement of the late 1960s – 1970s.

Guide to MS526 Pan American Round Table of El Paso Records

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:08:17 PST

Founded in 1921 by Eugenia Schuster (1865-1946), the Pan American Round Table of El Paso is a nonprofit women’s organization which promotes “mutual knowledge, understanding, and friendship among the peoples of the western hemisphere” through educational forums and lectures, social gatherings, study groups, community involvement and activities, and the annual celebration of Pan American Day on April 14^th. The organization’s goals include improving international relations by establishing friendships with women from different countries, and to increase members’ knowledge about the Pan American nations with a focus on women’s concerns and issues. The records date 1921 – 2007, bulk 1950 – 2000. Types of records include minutes, agendas, correspondence, reports, financial records, clippings, photographs, negatives, slides, cassette tapes, scrapbooks, proclamations, postcards and other souvenirs, invitations, programs, notes, publications, pamphlets and brochures, and other printed material. Divided into twelve series (Constitution and by-laws, Minutes and resolutions, Chapter history, Officers’ papers and reports, Correspondence, Membership, Activities and events, Photographs and other media, Scrapbooks, Publications, Pan American Round Tables of Texas, and Alliance of Pan American Round Tables), the records document the chapter’s meetings, social and educational activities, finances and operations, membership, community and national service and projects, travels, and involvement in the state and international Round Table organizations.

Guide to MS560 Acosta Solís-Vargas Family Papers

Abbie Weiser — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:51:29 PST

The Vargas family played an important role in the politics of the Ciudad Juárez – El Paso area during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Well-known family members include Sebastián Vargas (padre) and his son, Sebastián Vargas (hijo). The elder Vargas belonged to the Republican Party and served as secretary for the political leadership of Paso del Norte in 1865 and 1866. He also served as a representative to the XXVIII local legislature. He died on November 9, 1912 in El Paso, Texas. His son, Sebastián Vargas (hijo) was elected tax collector for income tax in Juárez in 1910. He was reelected in 1911 and 1912, and served as a member of the Constitutional Assembly of El Paso. Through his position he authorized and managed the issuing of paper currency in the town. Sebastián Vargas (hijo) died in 1946. The Acosta Solís-Vargas papers date 1752 – 1927, bulk 1821 – 1912. Types of records include government documents, certificates, property deeds, land sale and government documents, wills, and correspondence. Arranged in one series (Family, land, and government documents), these papers document the family’s history, land and property transactions, and the political activities of Sebastían Vargas, Sr. and Sebastían Vargas, Jr.