Oral Interview, Glenn Willeford With Dr. Gerald G. Raun Concerning Walter Prescott Webb's The Texas Rangers: A Century of Frontier Defense (1935).  
"I'm Glenn Willeford and this is the eighth of April 2008. We're at the house of Dr. and Mrs. Gerald Raun in Alpine, Texas and I will be asking Dr. Raun a few questions, one of which I think is of great importance. First, Dr. Raun, what is your background at the University of Texas in Austin? What we're referring to specifically is getting around to the point of you being at the home of Walter Prescott Webb one evening as a graduate student."

Raun: I was a graduate student in biology a the University of Texas 1956 to 1961 and I do not exactly remember the occasion why there were a group of us, at Walter Prescott Webb's home near the University of Texas in Austin, Bedichek was there..

Willeford: That's Roy Bedichek?

Raun: [Affirative] Perhaps he's the reason we were there because he's a naturalist.

Willeford: "All right".

Raun: But, ah, somewhere in the conversation the question was asked Dr. Webb about his book on the Texas Rangers..

Willeford: "This would be the 1930's.."

Raun: Yeah, the original. Well, its been reprinted, that's the original 1930's edition. He discussed it a little bit and said rather sadly that he was sorry that he had written it the way he did and that it desperately needed to be redone. And I think he was planning to re-do that when he was killed.

Willeford: "Okay, and how was he killed?"

Raun: "In an automobile accident; I don't remember the exact date, in the sixties I think."

Willeford: "He and his wife, if I am not mistaken."

Raun: I believe that's correct, I believe that's correct, yeah.

Willeford: "Do you remember how the subject came up that evening or was it in the afternoon?"

Raun: I'm pretty sure it was afternoon but I don't recall specifically who asked the question but somebody did bring up the subject of the book and asked him about it.

Willeford: "Did he go into any other specifics why he thought he needed to revise it?"

Raun: "No, we changed the subject, or he did probably."

Willeford: "Okay, that will end the interview. Thank you, I think this is a very important short interview." [End].







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