The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940 Page: 382
576 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
the derrick of the Santa Rita well, which marked the discovery
of the great West Texas oil field with millions of dollars for
The University of Texas, may be dismantled and re-erected on
the University campus-a pleasing, sentimental gesture.
"But more worth while would be for the University to use a
very small trickle of that golden stream to make possible the
writing of the story of oil. Within a brief span, oil has revolu-
tionized the life of our nation. . . . How much simpler and
more intelligent it would be to write the story now while so
many of the principal actors are still living to give first-hand
accounts instead of waiting a century and trying to piece the
story together.
"Such an undertaking would be as worthy of a truly great
University as building a telescope to study the stars or a machine
to smash the atom. After all, they have stars and atoms every-
where, but oil is peculiarly the story of Texas."
It would indeed be a fine thing if The University of Texas would
divert a trickle of the oil to the writing of the history of Texas
oil industry. It must be remembered that the University has
many obligations, many responsibilities, and many requests for
a modicum of its oil. Every department and every branch of
learning wants a little of the oil.
On the other hand, it is the sole function of the Texas State
Historical Association to foster history, including oil history. If
the work that Mr. House suggests is to be done, it is up to the
members of the Association to furnish the incentive and to do
a great part of the work. The University will help, all it can,
but it should not be expected to take the initiative; it should not
be permitted to do it. Out in front in everything that pertains
to the history of Texas should be this Association, supported by
its members in all parts of the state. The principal actors in the
drama, promoters, drillers, and speculators, should be encouraged
to write their stories, first-hand accounts. Some of this material
should be printed from time to time in the Quarterly, and all
of it should be filed in the archives for future investigation.
These actors are welcome to membership in the organization
most interested in the record of their achievements.382
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940, periodical, 1940; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101111/m1/406/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.