Aubra Nooncaster Collection

Collection

Identifier: SWWC-122

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection of coach and poet, Aubra Nooncaster, spans 1938-1992; however, the bulk of the collection dates from 1980-1990. It is arranged into four series: Correspondence, Writings about Coach Nooncaster, Writings by Nooncaster, and Larry L. King. The correspondence to Nooncaster (excluding Larry L. King’s letters) have been sorted alphabetically. Some letters have the original envelopes with them. Much of the correspondence references Larry L. King’s article in Parade titled, “A Coach I Can’t Forget” about King’s time in Coach Nooncaster’s class.

Published articles and reviews concerning Coach Nooncaster are in their own series. Nooncaster has published four works: Listen for a Poem, Selected Poems: 1959-1988, Amid the Glow of Suns, and Interim Days: A Book of Poems, and the collection contains many of drafts of his poetry.

The final series contains papers relating to Larry L. King, including correspondence and articles. The letters from King are arranged chronologically from 1974-1992. A few letters from Nooncaster to King have been sorted into their own folder. In addition to correspondence, the collection includes articles written by King and writings about King. The writings about King mostly concern The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas as well as his two plays “The Night Hank Williams Died” and “The Kingfisher.” And finally, this series includes two photographs of King, possibly from 1971. One depicts King in front of a dilapidated house, and the second is of King with an unidentified man and children.

Dates

1938-1990

Creator

Nooncaster, Aubra (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research

Conditions Governing Use

Materials from the Wittliff Collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user assumes responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish, and abiding by U.S. copyright laws. https://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/research/visit/policies/publication.html

Biographical Notes

Aubra Nooncaster graduated Sul Ross State College with a Master’s in English in 1940. Upon returning from service in World War II, he was hired as head basketball and assistant football coach at Midland High School where he taught for two years. At Midland, Coach Nooncaster was also given an English class to teach that his football players took in anticipation of an easy A. One of these students was Larry L. King, the playwright and author best known for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Nooncaster would become a great influence on Larry L. King’s writing career. As early as 1974, King began a lifelong correspondence with Coach Nooncaster.

In 1947, Aubra Nooncaster began to teach at Pampa Independent School District in Pampa, Texas, where he stayed until his retirement in 1978. During his career as a teacher he pursued an enduring love of poetry, ultimately publishing four books of poems: Listen for a Poem, Selected Poems: 1959-1988, Amid the Glow of Suns,and Interim Days: A Book of Poems.

His community, peers, and former students loved and admired Aubra Nooncaster. Many of his former students reconnected with him after reading Larry L. King’s article about his time with Nooncaster entitled “A Coach I Can’t Forget.” The article was published in Parade, a newspaper insert that ran nationwide, on July 17, 1983.

Extent

2 boxes

1 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

The descriptive data created for this finding aid is licensed under the CC0 Creative Commons license and is free for use without restriction.

Additional Description

Abstract

The Aubra Nooncaster Papers span 1938-1992, and document the writings of coach, poet, and mentor to Larry L. King, Aubra Nooncaster. The collection is arranged into four series: Correspondence, Writings about Coach Nooncaster, Nooncaster’s Writings, and Larry L. King. The bulk of the collection is correspondence from Larry L. King to Nooncaster. The collection also includes published poems and unpublished drafts of poems written by Nooncaster