Dobie

J. Frank Dobie worked in the English department in 1914, but three years later he went to war. After he returned from war he returned to U.T. and became editor of the Texas Folklore Society in 1922. Then in 1924, he published “Legends of Texas.” He became Chair of the English Department at Oklahoma State, but came back and in 1930, he taught a course named “Life and Literature of the Southwest.” He taught this class to over 1596 students. This class became ‘the most popular elective ever taught at U.T.” (433) Throughout his career, Dobie earned many academic honors including an M.A. citation that says “What he does not know about longhorns is not worth knowing.” (433) In the 1940’s the Regents took out “The Big Money” from the reading lists and they fired the economics professors that protested. This caused many students to protest along with Dobie, but Dobie got fired in 1947. Students didn’t believe that this was fair and they protested in front of his house, but that didn’t work. Dobie died in 1964, but many people remember him as a great person. Chancellor Ransom said that he thinks Dobie was “one of the greatest teachers the University of Texas ever had…” (433)

Dobie recognized that horses are still necessary in places like ranches. He doesn’t think that mustangs should be thought of as slaves to human beings. Dobie believed that “the true conceiver must be a true lover of freedom –a person who yearns to extend freedom to all life.” (466) In other words, Dobie believed that mustangs should be treated well and thought of as ‘the most beautiful,…spirited…, and…inspiriting creature ever to print foot on the grasses of America” (466)

It is said that the Texas longhorn has influence human beings immensely. “He (the longhorn) is…also a home lover and a persistent returner to his querencia, as the vaquero language calls the place where an animal is born or to which he shows a strong attachment.” (437) The story about Kerr, Maria, and Sancho is about how Maria finds a white and black bull calf. She raises him as a pet and grows attached to him. However, Sancho was a bit difficult and he gave the Maria and the men that were guarding him not to get out of the gate a hard time. Even though Sancho was known as a stubborn animal, he was also known as the gentlest. When compared to other animals such as cows, the longhorn proved to be a leader, loyal, persistent, intelligent, and strong. “He was one of the ‘walking Texas Longhorns.’” (445)