James Frank Dobie

Born on a ranch in Live Oak County in 1888, Dobie dedicated his career to documenting and sharing the Western lore he grew up with, through his “Life and Literature of the Southwest” course at the University of Texas, and via his writings. While his earlier books like Legends of Texas (1924), A Vaquero of the Brush Country (1929), Coronado’s Children (1930), and Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver (1939) captured folklore and adventure, many of his later works included pleas for wildlife preservation. The Longhorns (1941) gave momentum to save the iconic breed, a cause he championed with Sid Richardson and Graves Peeler. The Voice of the Coyote (1949), challenged government predator control, while The Mustangs (1952) offered a eulogy for the wild horse and open range. His explorations of these themes about the state’s culture, identity and landscape were often joined in conversation with his long-time friends and intellectual partners, Roy Bedichek and Walter Prescott Webb.