TABLE OF CONTENTS
Roy Davis Holt:
An Inventory of His Papers, 1902-1996 and undated, at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library
Roy Davis Holt was born in 1897 in Santa Anna, Texas. As a boy, he listened to stories about the early days of Texas from travelers who stopped at his home. These stories, told by Texas Rangers, Indian fighters, traders, and ranchers, fueled his interest in history.
After graduating from Trinity University with a bachelor's degree in history and economics, he attended the University of Texas, doing graduate work. While there, he was taught by Drs. Eugene Barker, Charles Ramsdell, and Walter Prescott Webb. Fellow students included future Texas historians J. Evetts Haley and William C. Holden.
After graduating from the University of Texas with a master's degree in history, Holt embarked on a career in public education. He taught history at Santa Anna and Brady, eventually becoming the high school principal. Holt also served as school superintendent in Eldorado and in Sanderson. In addition, he taught history in Killeen, and history and economics at the Mary Hardin-Baylor College extension at Fort Hood.
In addition to his teaching career, Mr. Holt was also a writer. He wrote several articles for such publications as The Cattleman, Sheep and Goat Raisers, True West, and Western Horseman. He also wrote four books: So You Don't Like Texas, Heap Many Texas Chiefs, Children Indian Captives, and Schleicher County or Eighty Years of Development in Southwest Texas. He also collected anecdotes and folklore of early Texas. Mr. Holt died in 1985. He married Mildred Pearce of Santa Anna in 1923. Their children are Roy Holt, Jr. (deceased) and Nancy Hughes.
The collection consists mainly of printed materials and scrapbook files of Roy Davis Holt, Sr. The news clipping files have a variety of topics on the history of Texas and the West. There are some correspondence and research materials. The oversized materials of images, newspapers, and S. J. Stouts' illustrations are in the second box.
Open for research.
Some archival collections may be housed in storage outside of the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library building. Requests to retrieve such materials may take up to 10 business days to complete. Please contact our Reference Department to arrange retrieval.
Audio, video, and film recordings may not be immediately accessible due to format, condition, or copyright status. All items must be digitized prior to patron use. Because not all collections materials have been digitized, please contact the Reference Archivist at least 10 days prior to arrival in order to coordinate digitization. Though we can digitize much of our holdings within two weeks, some media may be fragile and require specialized digitization outsourcing, which can take up to three months for completion.
Roy Davis Holt Papers, 1902-1996 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
Collection accession #(s):
Processed by: Abel Ramirez, August 2001