Esteemed
historian Dr. Ben H. Procter (1927-2012) taught for more than forty years at Texas
Christian University. An engaging lecturer and eminent scholar, his books include
Not Without Honor: The Life of John H. Reagan (University of Texas Press, 1962),
The Battle of the Alamo (Texas State Historical Association Press, 1986), and
the two-volume biography, William Randolph Hearst (Oxford University Press, 1998,
2007). In addition to his classroom activities and scholarship, Dr. Procter served
as president of three professional organizations: the Southwestern Social Science
Association from 1971-1972, the Texas State Historical Association from 1979-1980,
and Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society, from 1980-1982. A genuine
polymath, Procter enlisted in the Navy during World
War II, played football at the University of Texas and for the Los Angeles
Rams in the National Football League, and later earned a doctorate in history
at Harvard University, where he studied under such renowned professors as Frederick
Merk, Oscar Handlin, Samuel Eliot Morison, and Arthur Schlesinger.
In
appreciation of Professor Procter, seven of his TCU doctoral students have published
this impressive anthology. His close friend and colleague, Dr. Archie P. McDonald,
with whom Procter edited a popular textbook, The Texas Heritage (Harlan Davidson,
1980, 1992, 1998, 2003), has contributed a warm and gracious introduction. Chapters
include David Murph’s “John Peter Smith: Founder of Fort Worth, From the Old Frontier
to the New”; Watson Arnold’s “Ashbel Smith: Setting the Highest of Texas Standards”;
Roger Tuller’s “Frank Hamer: Facing Down the Mob During the Sherman Riot”; Michael
Collins’ “Hatton W. Sumners: Leading the Fight Against FDR’S Court-Packing Plan”;
Mark Beasley’s “Jim Wright: The Fiftieth Legislature and the Education of a Texas
Politician”; Mary Kelley Scheer’s “Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt: Social Activist
and Advocate for the Mentally Ill”; and Eddie Weller’s “Marie Flickinger: The
‘Tar Wars’ Fight Over the Brio Toxic Waste Site.” Now accomplished academics themselves,
Procter’s protégés are all reliable researchers and skillful writers; clearly,
they were well trained. Undoubtedly, Dr. Procter would be exceptionally proud
of this admirable publication.
Disclosure: While another
splendid professor, Dr. Frank Reuter, served as my dissertation director at TCU,
I did have the privilege of taking Ben Procter’s graduate writing seminar, an
extremely rigorous, though definitely beneficial, course. I am fortunate to have
had Dr. Procter as one of my teachers. I will never forget him.
- Review
by Dr. Kirk Bane (Blinn College—Bryan campus)
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