Murrah, David J 1973, 1975, 1980

Tape 1: David Murrah speaks to the Floydada Junior Historians’ meeting. He discusses the purpose and function of the Southwest Collection and suggests possible history projects for the group.

Tape 2: Tom Robertson interviews Murrah on KTXT-TV concerning the Southwest Collection.

Tape 3: Murrah describes the career of early Bailey County rancher Charles K. Warren and the records relating to him in the Southwest Collection, then narrates a slide show of early Lubbock.

Tape 4: Dr. Murrah discusses his background and interest in the history profession and includes his research on C. C. Slaughter.

Tape 5: He delivers a lecture on appraisal and inventory of archival materials.

Tape 6: Dr. Murrah provides an introduction for his course in archival administration at Texas Tech.

Tape 7: He gives a class lecture on the care and maintenance of photographs and microfilm.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: David J. Murrah

Additional Parties Recorded: None

Date: May 9-10, 1973; March 5 and November 3, 1975; January 27, 1980 and unknown

Location: Floydada and Lubbock, Texas

Interviewer: Tom Robertson, speeches and lectures

Length: 5 hours 25 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Opening of meeting and introduction of David Murrah, Function, purpose of Southwest Collection explained, Distinction between "repository" and "depository" given, Oral history topics cited, History projects suggested, Southwest Collection archives mentioned, Oral history policy reviewed, Ranch personalities discussed, Questions and discussion from students.

Tape 1, Side 2: Blank

Tape 2, Side 1: Texas Tech television station KTXT introduces its afternoon and evening programming, Subject of Southwest Collection introduced, Purpose, function of Southwest Collection presented, History, location, speculation on growth of Southwest Collection, Slide presentation narrated, Book collections discussed, Multi-disciplinary character of Southwest Collection noted, Role of microfilming discussed, Oral history projects examined, "Man-land" theme asserted, Muleshoe Ranch story related, Photograph collections examined, Cotton Bowl (1939) film presented, Large collections discussed, Interest in new collections expressed.

Tape 2, Side 2: Blank

Tape 3, Side 1: Charles K. Warren, Three Oaks, Michigan, Edward K. Warren, father, Featherbone, Used in corsets and whips, To Missouri (1886), Return to Michigan, Traveling salesman, Warren Featherbone Co. (1890), To Texas, Square and Compass Ranch, Garza County, Texas (1890), Anecdote, cattle in a storm, Return to Michigan, Warren Featherbone Co. (again), Vice President, Bought YL Ranch in Bailey County, Texas (1903), Formerly part of XIT Ranch, Bought more ranch land, Origin of Muleshoe name, Bought land in Mexico (1910), Francisco "Pancho" Villa, Mexican Revolution, Bandits plundered ranches, Ynez Salazar, Extracted money, 1913, Stole horses and cattle, Protection money, 1917, Letter from Salazar, Foreman kidnapped, "Pancho" Villa (again), Killed cattle, 1915, Destroyed buildings, $250,000 damage, Asked U. S. government for help, Reasons for success in Mexico, E. K. Warren died (1919), Incorporated land (1924), Death (1932), U Bar Ranches, George Lackey, E. K. Warren (son of Charles), President (1940), Mexican ranches sold, Corporation dissolved (1954), Slides shown.

Tape 3, Side 2: Slides shown (continued), [A series of slides relating to the lecture and the history of Lubbock, Texas are discussed].

Tape 4, Side 1: David Murrah, background, Born: September 13, 1941, in Shattuck, Oklahoma, Raised in Gruver, Texas, Graduated from Gruver High School, 1960, Graduated from Hardin-Simmons University, 1964, Major—History, Minor—Bible, Southwestern Theological Seminary, 5 years in public school, Texas Tech University, 1971, Interest in history, Dr. Rupert N. Richardson, Texas historian, Morton schools, Texas Tech—Master’s degree in history, 1971, Search for Master’s Thesis topic, Dr. Ernest Wallace, Elvis Fleming suggested C. C. Slaughter Ranch, Dr. David Vigness suggested investigating Southwest, Collection, Slaughter Family research materials, Background, Slaughter family, Discord over estate settlement, Gaining access to materials, Ranch documents, Later acquired by the Southwest Collection, Thesis on Slaughter Ranch, Local history importance, Led to dissertation Slaughter family, Missing—C. C. Slaughter’s personal papers, J. H. Baker diary, Oral history interviews, Son of ranch foreman, Cowboy, Book on Slaughter possible.

Tape 4, Side 2: Blank

Tape 5, Side 1: Interview in nursing home Aviation, World War II photographs, Reasons for choosing topic, Try to find unworked areas, Aviation, Black experience, Reasons for choosing thematic topics in oral history, Benefits of a single interviewer, Problems with multiple interviewers, Value of oral history in manuscript collection, Appraisal, Importance, Process, Difficulties of field appraisal, Considerations given to appraisal, Age of material, Volume of material, For of material, Evidential value, Informational value, Research value, Archival value, Considerations given to receiving material.

Tape 5, Side 2: Considerations (continued), Record keeping, Problems in field work (again), Re-iteration of points made by Dr. Murrah, Inventory, Definition, Purposes at Southwest Collection, Inventory forms used at National Archives, Preliminary inventory, Inventory of record group, Inventory process at Southwest Collection, Work order sheet, Sorting of material, Inventory forms.

Tape 6, Side 1: Description of packet of materials, Syllabus, Introduction of course, Purpose and goal of course, Grading, Textbooks, Assignments, Journals, Use of Southwest Collection, Assignments (again), Miscellaneous, LBJ Library, Lesson plan, Outside reading, Reports, Expanded archival education program.

Tape 6, Side 2: Expanded archival education program (continued), History of archival activities, Trends in recent archival activities, How people get involved in archival employment, Archival methodology at Southwest Collection, Archival repository vs. Archive, Differences between, General comments on archival work, Historical background of Southwest Collection.

Tape 7, Side 1: Photographs require more care than manuscripts, Negatives and photographs stored separately, Store in mylar sleeves, Chemical protection, Protection from handling, Problems in handling photographs, From article, Maintaining order of collections, Better to separate photographs from manuscript, Aides in conservation, Establishing bibliographic information, Cataloging individually or as a collection, Deciding how to catalog, Users of photographs, Methods of making photographs available, Problems with access to photographs, Weinstein’s Collection Care: Historical Photographs, Handling photographs, Labeling, Storage (again), Environment—heat, light, humidity, consistency, Ways to protect photographs, Ideally stored in environmentally controlled vault, National Museum of American History, Photograph storage, Mounted photographs, Generally not a problem if have the negatives, Negatives, Storage, Handling, Color photographs, Best method of preservation, Assignment.

Tape 7, Side 2: Assignment (continued), Microfilming, Records a lot of information in little space, Microfilm sizes, Sizes currently used, Microfilm camera, Different processes of microfilming, Three types of microfilm, National standards, Format of microfilming manuscript collection, Use a good microfilm camera, Kodak, Design used in microfilm camera, Reasons to microfilm, More practical to microfilm than to store the original, For conservation, Types of microfilm cameras, Rotary camera, Planetary camera, Reading assignment, Semester project.

Range Dates: 1870-1980

Bulk Dates: Unknown

Access Information

Original Recording Format:

Recording Format Notes:

Transcript:

---

Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.