Special Collections Division the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries Vol. XII * No. 1 * Spring 1998

A Decade of Friends’ Programs to Tickle Your Fancy 
By Jennifer Gates

In the ten years that the Friends of the UTA Libraries have existed, the organization has sponsored programs to appeal to people with diverse tastes and interests. We thought it would be fun and informative to list all of the Friends’ programs sponsored during the Friends’ first decade. They are:

• October 30, 1987: Liz Carpenter discussed her new book Getting Better All the Time with an audience of more than two hundred. Ninety copies of her book were purchased during the reception that followed.
• December 11, 1987: John H. Jenkins, noted author and Texana dealer, presented a program honoring Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm D. McLean for the publication of Volume XIII of the Papers Concerning Robertson’s Colony in Texas. The Sweet Song String Band also performed for the Friends that evening.
• April 15, 1988: Dennis Reinhartz, associate professor of history at UTA and cartographic history specialist, discussed "The Mapping of History: The Myths and Mysteries of Maps."
• June 3, 1988: Alex Burton, the popular radio commentator and author, talked about his books Just One Kiss Baby and The Widest Float in the Parade. His books were for sale during the reception and an autograph party followed.
• November 4, 1988: Bobby G. Smith, owner and operator of La Buena Vida Vineyards in Parker County, presented a program about Texas wines. His discussion covered the long history of Texas wines. A wine tasting, featuring Texas wines, was held during the reception.
• December 9, 1988: Ron C. Tyler, director of the Texas State Historical Association, spoke of his forthcoming book Texas Lithographs, 1818-1900. Tyler presented a slide show and explained the process of lithography and its benefits. Also that evening, the Friends celebrated the publication of Volume XIV of the Papers Concerning Robertson’s Colony in Texas, compiled and edited by Dr. Malcolm D. McLean.
• April 23, 1989: The Friends sponsored a tour of, and a program about, the "Ramses the Great" exhibit at Dallas’s Fair Park. Ninety-four people attended the slide show and lecture, given by UTA Egyptologist Rollin Phipps, and the excursion that followed. A second trip was scheduled for July 16, 1989, for those who could not attend this one.
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• June 10, 1989: Jim Wellvang, head of the Preservation Department at UTA Libraries, Andy and Beckie Reisberg, owners of Photographic Archives Lab & Gallery in Dallas, and a number of staff members from the Special Collections Division, conducted a basic preservation workshop aimed at individuals with little or no experience in preservation. Techniques in preserving books, documents, news clippings, photographs, and other items, were taught to about one hundred people.
• August 11, 1989: Oliver Farres, Mexico’s Consul General of Dallas, was the guest speaker for the program "Friends Fiesta." Farres spoke on "Leaving Problems Behind: The Relationship Between the United States and Mexico." One hundred Friends attended the program and enjoyed the mariachi band, Mariachi Los Reyes de Dallas.
• September 29, 1989: Ted W. Mayborn was honored for his significant gift to the UTA Libraries during this program. More than 135 Friends attended the event which also included the opening of a major exhibition focusing on the Mayborn Collection. Everyone who attended received a copy of The Ted W. Mayborn Collection: An Exhibition Catalogue and Keepsake.
• November 19, 1989: Louise S. O’Connor presented her photographic exhibition "Cryin’ for Daylight," a series of pictures that documented the rapid disintegration of South Texas cattle ranching. O’Connor also signed copies of her book of the same title.
  
• December 8, 1989: Tony Arangio, actor and producer, performed "A Dickens Christmas Celebration" for more than ninety Friends. In a room with Victorian decorations, Arangio read a shortened version of A Christmas Carol, the same version read by Dickens himself. TCU’s Concert Chorale performed Christmas carols after the reading.
  
  
  
  
  
• March 9, 1990: Stanley Marcus, noted author and collector, hosted an "Evening with Stanley Marcus." The standing-room-only crowd heard Marcus speak on "Reminiscences of a Sometimes Publisher," a presentation which focused on how he came to love books.
• May 25, 1990: Charles B. Lowry, Wendell H. Nedderman, Jack Tinsley, Gerald D. Saxon, and Mary Perry spoke at the opening of the exhibition "News of the Day: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection." This program celebrated the donation of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection to the Special Collections Division.
• July 22, 1990: Tom Vandergriff, former Arlington mayor and congressman, discussed the difficulties in bringing the Texas Rangers to Arlington during a program entitled "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Former Rangers owner Eddie Chiles was also in attendance. After the program and dinner, the Friends attended a Rangers game.
• September 21, 1990: A. C. Greene discussed his new book Taking Heart. He explained how his heart transplant made him re-prioritize his life and transformed him into a kinder, more tolerant person.
• November 10, 1990: TU Electric’s Comanche Peak nuclear plant outside of Glen Rose sponsored a behind-the-scenes tour for the Friends. The Friends then lunched at Linda’s Too Restaurant in Glen Rose.
• December 7, 1990: Tony Arangio, actor and producer, performed "A Dickens Christmas Celebration" for a standing-room-only crowd. In a room festooned with Victorian decorations, Arangio read a shortened version of A Christmas Carol. UTA’s Chamber Singers performed Christmas carols after the reading.
• March 8, 1991: Jane Roberts Wood, author, presented "Home Place: Mining Its Richness." Wood also presented her book A Place Called Sweet Shrub to the Friends. After her presentation, the Friends hosted a book sale, an autograph party, and a reception.
• May 3, 1991: Allen McCree, architect of the Texas Capitol, presented a slide presentation on the ongoing efforts to renovate, restore, and refurbish the Texas Capitol.
• September 6, 1991: Elizabeth Crook of Austin discussed her book The Raven’s Bride. The book is a fictionalized biography of Sam Houston’s first wife, Eliza Allen. Crook signed copies of her book after the program.
• October 25, 1991: Thomas Gadsden, head of the Education Office at the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory, presented "The SSC: An Educational Resource to Capture the Imagination." A reception was hosted in his honor.
• December 14, 1991: Tony Arangio gave a dramatic reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol for the third year in a row. Christmas carols were performed by the UTA Chamber Singers. A standing-room-only crowd attended.
• February 20, 1992: David Woodward, professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discussed "The Renaissance Geographic and Cartographic Background to the First Century of Greater Southwest Discovery and Cartography." The Friends co-sponsored an all-day symposium entitled "Entrada: The First Century of Mapping the Greater Southwest," along with the Association of American Geographers, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins Garrett, Summerlee Foundation of Dallas, Texas Committee for the Humanities, and UTA. After the presentation, the exhibit "Entrada" was opened.
• April 24, 1992: W. Thomas Taylor, an antiquarian book dealer specializing in English and American literature, spoke to the Friends on "A Seal of Scholarly Honesty."
• September 18, 1992: Bernard Weinstein, director of the Center for Economic Development at the University of North Texas, led a celebration commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Texas Labor Archives. After the presentation, the exhibit, "Labor’s Legacy: The Texas Labor Archives at UTA," was opened. More than 125 people attended this event.
• October 8, 1992: Sandra Brown presented "The Life of an Author," her discussion of how she began her career as a writer and where she received her inspiration for her novels. She autographed copies of French Silk and Texas Trilogy after the presentation.
• December 11, 1992: Tony Arangio continued his tradition of reading Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The UTA Chamber Singers sang carols after the reading.
• March 12, 1993: Ron Tyler, director of the Texas State Historical Association, was the guest speaker at this event, which celebrated the publication of Volume XVIII of the Papers Concerning Robertson’s Colony in Texas, a series compiled by Dr. Malcolm D. McLean.
• May 7, 1993: Gary Cartwright, author and senior editor for Texas Monthly, presented "The Glorious Literary Tradition of Arlington." The Friends and the Friends of the Arlington Public Library co-sponsored a Spring Book and Author Dinner. One hundred fifty people attended the dinner at the E. H. Hereford Student Center. After Cartwright’s discussion, the author’s new book, Galveston: A History of the Island, was sold.
• October 1, 1993: Elmer Kelton, award-winning Western author, discussed his writing techniques and Western literature. After the presentation, Kelton signed two of his recent books, Elmer Kelton Country and Slaughter. Prior to his discussion, newly appointed Director of Libraries Tom Wilding was introduced to the more than 125 Friends who attended.
• November 12, 1993: James B. Miller, chairman of the board and CEO of Miller Business Systems, Inc., discussed his new book The Corporate Coach. His book focuses on running a service business and empowering and motivating employees.
• December 10, 1993: A. C. Greene read his unpublished story "The Christmas Train." The program, called "A Texas Christmas," also included a performance by The Staff Meeting, a local barbershop quartet. Greene was presented with a lifetime membership to the Friends in appreciation for his gift of his personal papers. Each person who attended the program received a free cookbook, A Texas Christmas: Memories Shared, compiled from favorite recipes of the Friends.
• March 26, 1994: J’Nell Pate, author of several books on Fort Worth, gave a presentation on the Fort Worth stockyards to the Friends during their trip to Cowtown on a "Westering Adventure." The trip took the Friends to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History to view the exhibition "Thundering Hooves" and later to Joe T. Garcia’s for Mexican food.
• April 29, 1994: Ronald L. Davis, author of the book The Glamour Factory: Inside Hollywood’s Big Studio System, regaled the audience with stories he collected while conducting more than four hundred oral history interviews with Hollywood actors and studio executives.
• October 21, 1994: Perry C. Huston, art conservationist, gave a slide presentation focusing on his efforts to restore more than one hundred Library of Congress murals.
• November 11, 1994: Jane Roberts Wood returned to UTA for an encore performance. Almost 150 Friends and guests attended the discussion where she explained how she received inspiration for her writing. After the program, Wood signed copies of her newest book, Dance a Little Longer.
• December 9, 1994: Joyce Gibson Roach and Robert Flynn presented "A Better Christmas: A Dialogue of Memories." Roach reminisced about growing up in Jacksboro and Flynn remembered his childhood in Chillicothe. All 160 guests received a keepsake bookmark and pamphlet with holiday vignettes written by the authors. The UTA Jazz Combo also performed for the Friends.
• March 25, 1995: J. Howard Garrett, newspaper columnist and radio personality, talked about his new book Howard Garrett’s Texas Organic Gardening. Garrett discussed organic gardening techniques for the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
• April 28, 1995: Lou Wetherbee, library consultant, presented a discussion on the Internet. Wetherbee talked about the so-called information superhighway and its potential benefits to the Friends and other users.
• September 29, 1995: A "progressive reception" was held in the three UTA Libraries. The reception included presentations by library staff from the Architecture and Fine Arts Library, Science and Engineering Library, and Central Reference and Access Services in the Central Library.
• October 20, 1995: John Hoyt Williams, author of Sam Houston: A Biography of the Father of Texas, participated in the conference "The Challenge of Statehood: A Sesquicentennial Symposium on Texas Annexation." The Friends co-sponsored the event and more than two hundred people attended the evening program to hear Williams discuss "Coquetry Personified- Sam Houston’s Annexation Game."
• December 8, 1995: Christina Patoski, Fort Worth author and photographer, presented a Christmas slide show. The slides included photographs of yard decorations from 30 cities across the country. More than 175 people attended the event. Also, Mac Williams’s wife, Madeline, donated his personal papers at the meeting.
• February 16, 1996: Gerald Saxon led the Friends in celebrating the University’s centennial anniversary. Saxon presented a slide show and discussed his new book, Transitions: A Centennial History of The University of Texas at Arlington, 1895-1995. An exhibit in Special Collections, "Thanks for the Memories: One Hundred Years of UTA’s History," was formally opened after the presentation.
• April 19, 1996: Friends co-sponsored the Libraries One Millionth Volume Celebration, which featured an afternoon slide presentation by Charles R. McClure, professor in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University, and a gala evening dinner where Jenkins and Virginia Garrett presented to the Libraries the broadside "ĦĦĦLiberty, Constitution, and Federation!!!", dated July 15, 1835, to be added to Special Collections as the one millionth item. The evening also included a presentation, "Paths to Lifelong Learning," by Daniel J. Boorstin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former Librarian of Congress.
• September 27, 1996: Robert D. Krebs, president and CEO of Burlington Northern-Santa Fe, was the guest speaker at "The Railroads and the West," a conference sponsored by the Friends, the UTA Libraries, Center for Greater Southwestern Studies and the History of Cartography, and a number of corporate sponsors. After his presentation, Special Collections opened "Whistle Stops: Mapping 19th Century Railroads," a special exhibition.
• November 2, 1996: Paul Boller, Jr., professor emeritus of history at TCU, spoke on "Campaigning for President: The Great American Shindig." After his talk, the Friends sold copies of his book Presidential Campaigns.
• December 13, 1996: Jeff Guinn, author of The Autobiography of Santa Claus: It’s Better to Give, presented the year’s holiday program. The UTA Quartet performed that night, and more than 145 people attended.
• February 21, 1997: George Wright, UTA’s provost and historian, commemorated Black History Month. Wright spoke of "Race Relations: A Personal and Historical Perspective" to the audience. A reception followed the presentation.
• April 18, 1997: E. R. Milner, author of The Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde, spoke on the notorious couple. Milner signed copies of his new book following the program.
• October 3, 1997: Hans Mark, former chancellor of the UT System and former deputy director of NASA, discussed "The Apollo 13 Accident: A Personal History." This was the first program of the Friends’ tenth year.
• November 14, 1997: Author and museum consultant Conover Hunt discussed her new book JFK for a New Generation. After her presentation the Friends hosted a reception and autograph party honoring Hunt.
• December 13, 1997: The Friends hosted their annual holiday program with Rose-Mary Rumbley as the special guest speaker. Rumbley told a poignant and funny story entitled "The Christmas Tree." Also, the UTA Quartet sang carols before and after the reading and a festive holiday reception was held in Rumbley’s honor.
• February 20, 1998: Sylvia Komatsu, vice president of television production for KERA and executive producer of a forthcoming PBS documentary, gave the Friends a behind-the-scenes tour of "The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848)" program to be aired in fall 1998. Komatsu also showed the Friends twenty-five minutes of the upcoming documentary.
• May 1, 1998: The Friends’ tenth year anniversary celebration. Watch for a report on this meeting in the next Compass Rose.

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