Condolence letters (S-Z), 1964

The first subseries within this group of records, Family, contains a family photo album of mostly 19th century photographs of the Dobie and Byler families. Also included are the family bible from which Dobie's father read nightly and two of Dobie's own bibles given to him as gifts: one in 1905 from W. H. Butler and the other from his family in 1908.

The next set of files, entitled Graduate Education, contains class notes, the Masters thesis, theater programs and newspaper clippings from Dobie's Columbia University days. Despite Dobie's statement in Some Part of Myself that he destroyed a "kind of diary" he kept at the time because he "was so disgusted with the sentimentality in it" (185), there is a diary herein which for the most part describes his reactions to the New York theater.

In the third subseries, World War I Service, is found Dobie's army uniform, his shipping trunk, and military documents. Dobie enlisted in the Army May 17,1917 but was not shipped to Europe until October of 1918 shortly before the armistice of November 11. He never saw action but was able to use the opportunity to see something of Europe.

The next subseries, Teaching, contains grade books, teaching notes, lectures and diaries. It includes the notes from the lectures Dobie gave at Cambridge University in 1943.

Household Records and Personal Effects, the fifth subseries, contains property deeds, income tax records, invoices, mementos, personal items, addresses, wills, and notes. There is information on Dobie's homes, lifestyle and interests. The file named Workfiles and mementos contains miscellaneous envelopes, empty files, clippings and articles including Walter Prescott Webb's "The Search for William E. Hinds."

The next subseries contains correspondence. The majority of these letters are from Dobie to Bertha detailing his experiences in the army. Other letters to Bertha were written during various separations and discuss family, personal matters and Dobie's writings. They also mention Dobie's work with the Texas Folklore Society and his various research interests. The other major correspondence in this subseries is the letters of Roy Bedichek. Bedichek was director of the University of Texas Interscholastic League by profession but a student of nature by predilection. Bedichek often met with Dobie and historianWalter Prescott Webb for barbecue or at Barton Springs swimming pool in Austin to argue and philosophize. Prodded by Dobie and Webb, Bedichek became a writer of lyrical books on nature at the advanced age of 70. His letters discuss animal stories, politics (especially Texas politics), and mutual friends--University of Texas president Homer Rainey, Folksong collector John Lomax, political commentator John Henry Faulk, Western historian Henry Nash Smith, Walter Prescott Webb and Texas Folklore Society editors Mody Boatright and Wilson Hudson. Also included here are some letters from Isabel Gaddis, a friend who collaborated with Dobie on I'll Tell You A Tale, published in 1960.

Dobie died on September 18, 1964. The seventh subseries, Dobie’s Death, contains the many telegrams and condolence cards sent to his widow along with funeral arrangements, the memorial record book and newspaper clippings about Dobie's accomplishments.

The eighth subseries, Writings about Dobie, is a collection of clippings, articles and papers on J. Frank Dobie gathered by his wife Bertha and his nephew, Edgar Kincaid. A few of the clippings concern Roy Bedichek or Edgar Kincaid. There also is a file on the Paisano Fellowship, the grant set up as a memorial to Dobie. His beloved ranch west of Austin was deeded to the University of Texas, which, along with the Texas Institute of Letters, manages a fellowship for selected Texas writers and artists. The award enables the writer or artist to spend six months on the ranch with a stipend in order to work on projects free from distraction. The first fellowship was granted in 1967 to Billy Porterfield.

Photographs, the final subseries contains photographs of Dobie, his wife Bertha, and their family and friends. There are publicity photos, photos taken on Dobie's research trips, and pictures clipped for research. Included are photos of Dobie and Bertha on their ranch or entertaining friends.