Gerald R. Ford stepped into the American presidency during a constitutional crisis that many believed was the country's worst since the Civil War.
Extraordinary Circumstances is a stunning collection of behind-closed-doors images by President Ford's personal photographer, David Hume Kennerly. Seen here are intimate scenes of the inner workings of the White House; Ford's family and much-beloved wife Betty; and many of the twentieth-century's most compelling and elusive figures, including Queen Elizabeth II, Leonid Brezhnev, Emperor Hirohito, Deng Xioping, Anwar Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin, Richard Nixon, Andy Warhol, and George Harrison.
The book follows Gerald Ford from the day President Nixon appointed him as vice president through the tumultuous early crises of his presidency, including his controversial pardon of Nixon, the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, and his wife Betty's breast cancer, to the end of his presidency after losing to Jimmy Carter.
Adding depth and perspective to the photos are excerpts from exclusive interviews with President Ford, President Jimmy Carter, President George H. W. Bush, Henry Kissinger, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Cheney, Alan Greenspan, and other prominent members of the Ford administration.
Extraordinary Circumstances is sponsored and published by the Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, the home of the David Hume Kennerly Photographic Archive. It features an introduction by NBC's Tom Brokaw and an overview of Ford's life by famed historian Richard Norton Smith.

Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford

Arts & Photography

Smith, Richard Norton

Kennerly, David Hume

Individual Artists

Briscoe Ctr for Amer History UT-Austin

Intimate. Revealing. Candid. Published by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, Conversations with Cronkite gives readers a rare glimpse into the life and times of Walter Cronkite in his own words. The book contains selections from interviews between the legendary journalist and an experienced oral historian—Cronkite's friend, Dr. Don Carleton.
With the publication of Conversations with Cronkite, readers have the opportunity to discover the behind-the-scenes stories of his life, edited by Carleton to focus on key events, issues, and themes. More than just oral history transcripts, these are the intimate conversations of two friends, covering virtually every aspect of Cronkite's life and career. Illustrated with photographs and archival treasures from the Cronkite Papers, Conversations with Cronkite gives readers the opportunity to once again hear the voice of "the most trusted man in America."
Walter Cronkite on:His famous sign off "And that's the way it is"I didn't clear it with [CBS] in any way. I started using it, and [Richard Salant] said, "This presupposes that everything we said is right, that that's the whole picture of the day's news. I don't really think you ought to be doing that." I think he was correct. But the thing had already caught on. It really was just rolling. So I got to kind of a point of being stubborn about it and said, "Well, I like it." [Salant] said, "Well, it's up to you." He let it go. It has been much criticized by serious television critics . . . because of that argument that . . . it was presumptive that everything we said is correct. Which was wrong. I shouldn't have said that. . . . And particularly when we got into controversial subjects like the Vietnam War. In fact, there's a New Yorker cartoon with a guy coming half out of his chair and shouting at his television, saying, "That's NOT the way it is."Being a United Press reporter during the Battle of the Bulge in World War IIGod, it was cold. We looked like Washington's army at Valley Forge. At one point, the troops I was with entered a town, and we got into a fire fight right away. It was very intense. My driver and I hopped out of our jeep and got in behind a doorway. The Germans were at one end of the main street and . . . it was a pretty good fire fight. I looked up and saw a GI . . . leaning out taking a shot or two. . . . I knew this was a story. I yelled out, "What's your name, soldier?" "Colonel Jones." I said, "Where are you from, what outfit are you with?" He said, "Mr. Cronkite, I'm your driver."On Fidel CastroHe was fascinated about . . . my war experience. Fascinated about the landings in Normandy. A real war buff. At one point I said, "I've been in a lot of Communist countries, including living two years in Moscow. I have yet to see a Communist country that understood the necessity of maintenance of . . . buildings or anything else." [Castro] threw up his hands and said, "Oh, boy, I know that. It's absolutely terrible." I said, "Well, why is it?" [Castro] said, "First of all, it's inherent in the idea of Communism. People don't own things, so they don't take care of them. That's the answer you capitalists give, but it's true."

Conversations with Cronkite

Biographies & Memoirs

Walter Cronkite

Don Carleton

Arts & Literature

Red McCombs has, in his words, "dabbled in automobiles, cattle, oil and gas, broadcasting, insurance, racehorses, motion pictures, real estate, politics, minor league baseball, and pro football." The successful businessman is also the cofounder of Clear Channel Communications, the former owner of two professional basketball teams, and a noted philanthropist. Published by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, Big Red is a candid first-person account of the life and times of this extraordinary Texan.
Based on a series of oral history interviews with Dr. Don Carleton, the book begins with an account of McCombs's childhood in the West Texas town of Spur, where he first went into business for himself at the age of ten by selling peanuts to farmworkers. McCombs started selling cars in Corpus Christi in 1950, and before long he was one of the most successful Ford dealers in the country. He moved to San Antonio in 1958 and built a business empire, always looking for his next great deal. Through all of his wheeling and dealing, however, McCombs says he's signed only one lifetime contract—with his wife, Charline.
McCombs's candid views on why U.S. automakers floundered, as well as his insights on the development of the highly successful Clear Channel Communications, are among the many behind-the-scenes accounts he relates about his remarkable life.

Big Red: Memoirs of a Texas Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Carleton, Don

McCombs, Red

Professionals & Academics

The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, which houses the extensive ExxonMobil Historical Collection, is honored to publish the fifth volume of Exxon’s corporate history, which extends the history of Exxon and its predecessors to more than 125 years, the longest in-depth account of a private company in existence.
ExxonMobil’s history stretches from the time of kerosene lamps to the era of jet travel, from the days of finding oil by searching for surface indications to the days of 3-D seismic, which uses powerful computers to create images of oil deep underground. Its learning curve was particularly steep in the years covered by this book, 1973–2005, when the company adapted to new realities that confronted it at every turn.
ExxonMobil has remained among the most profitable concerns in the history of modern capitalism by showing flexibility when faced with the need to adapt to changing conditions. As the company responded to sweeping changes in global markets, its decisions reflected a deeply held corporate culture that rested on the key operating values of engineering efficiency and financial discipline. This extensively researched volume demonstrates how Exxon’s core values and management enabled the company to adapt and succeed during a period of dramatic changes for the energy industry. Pratt and Hale provide readers a historical perspective from inside one of the most powerful corporations in the world.

Exxon: Transforming Energy, 1973–2005

Business & Money

Pratt, Joseph A.

Hale, William E.

Biography & History

This engaging memoir details Bill Cunningham’s seven years as president of the University of Texas at Austin and his eight years as chancellor of the UT System. Along the way, he relates accounts of the important issues UT faced during that time, including fraternity hazing, affirmative action, the demise of the Southwest Conference and the creation of the Big 12, apartheid and divestment protests, the future of higher education in Texas, and many other issues.
The Texas Way outlines how money, power, politics, and ambition all play roles in the business of running the state’s premier university system, particularly in its relations with the state government. As president and then as chancellor, Cunningham dealt with conflict from all sides of the political spectrum, always striving to protect the university’s interests.
Bill Cunningham was at the center of many important issues during the fifteen years he served as president and chancellor. The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin is pleased to publish Cunningham’s detailed and insightful memoir, which serves as a reminder of how these issues continue to resonate and affect higher education in Texas.

The Texas Way: Money, Power, Politics, and Ambition at The University

Cunningham, William H.

Jones, Monty

Frank Denius was not yet twenty-one when he fought his way across Europe and was awarded four Silver Stars, a Presidential Unit Citation, and two Purple Hearts. On the Way describes Denius's formative experiences during World War II in gripping detail and will cause any reader to wonder how he or she might have held up under similar pressure. The powerful opening chapters are followed by a detailed account of Denius's life and career after the war, assembled into a first-person memoir from conversations between Denius and Thomas Hatfield, and published by the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin.
Discharged from the army in October 1945, Denius enrolled at the University of Texas within a week. He is a lifelong supporter of the university: as part of the Texas Exes, as a donor to numerous academic programs, and as a fan of Longhorn football. Former UT football coach Mack Brown liked to say, "Frank has been to more practices than I have."
Denius graduated from the University of Texas School of Law and joined one of Austin's leading law firms in the late 1940s. Denius recounts how Texas operated in Lyndon Johnson's prime, observes power plays in the Texas energy industry, and describes his role in building a regional university into a global leader.

On the Way: My Life and Times

Denius, Frank

Historical

“[Briscoe was] a man of high integrity who held a genuine appreciation for the judgment and wisdom of the Texans whom he served . . . . Carleton must be commended for his efforts to bring Dolph Briscoe’s story to the public’s attention.” —Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Dolph Briscoe, governor of Texas from 1973 until 1979, was the largest individual landowner and rancher in a state famous for its huge ranches. He was one of the most respected businessmen in Texas, with a portfolio that included banks, agribusinesses, cattle, and oil and gas properties. His philanthropy provided much-needed support to a wide range of educational, medical, scientific, and cultural institutions. As a member of the state legislature in the decade following World War II, Briscoe was the author of major legislation that improved the daily lives of farmers and ranchers throughout Texas. As an activist leader of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Briscoe played a significant role in the successful effort to eliminate the screwworm, an age-old scourge of the livestock industry. As a friend and associate of a number of major American political figures, he was an eyewitness to history. And as a governor who assumed office following one of the most far-reaching corruption scandals in Texas history, Briscoe played a crucial role in restoring public confidence in the integrity of state government.
Don Carleton, executive director of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, conducted a series of lengthy oral history interviews with Governor Briscoe to produce this book.

Dolph Briscoe: My Life in Texas Ranching and Politics

Briscoe, Dolph

“The guidance, support, and friendship of George Kozmetsky were instrumental in the early success of Dell. In this compelling biography, Monty Jones has illuminated George’s lifelong contributions as a leader in business, education, and civic life.” —Michael Dell, chairman and CEO, Dell Technologies
Throughout his career as an industrialist, educator, visionary supporter of new technologies, advocate for worldwide economic development, and philanthropist, George Kozmetsky promoted constructive interactions among the worlds of academia, government, and private-sector business. He personified these interactions as a founder of Teledyne, a dean of the business school at the University of Texas at Austin, an academic researcher at the university’s IC2 Institute, a promoter of new technologies, and a consultant to entrepreneurs and government agencies.
In this comprehensive biography, Monty Jones details all aspects of Kozmetsky’s life, from his childhood as the son of Russian immigrants, to his service in World War II, to his accomplishments in technology, education, and business. While Kozmetsky is most widely known for taking early steps to propel the business school at the University of Texas at Austin toward its current position as an internationally prominent institution and for playing a central role in the economic transformation of Austin from a sleepy college town to its present-day status as a center of high-technology research, development, and manufacturing, Jones also details Kozmetsky’s technology career, influence, and philosophy. Kozmetsky embodied the concept of “civic entrepreneurship,” which involves a merging of business acumen, a deep commitment to social responsibility, and visionary leadership for a community’s economic development. Inherent in Kozmetsky’s role as a civic entrepreneur was the broadest possible definition of “community,” beginning with one’s city and region but growing outward to encompass the globe.

A Civic Entrepreneur: The Life of Technology Visionary George Kozmetsky

Community & Culture

Bernard Rapoport lived the American Dream. Born to Russian Jewish immigrant parents in San Antonio, Texas, in 1917, he grew up in poverty and worked his way through the University of Texas during the Great Depression. In 1951, he founded the American Income Life Insurance Company, which he developed into a multi-million-dollar business. Using his wealth to support a host of local, national, and international organizations, Rapoport was unstinting in his support for education, social justice, and liberal political causes. In this memoir, Rapoport explains how his early experiences of poverty and his youthful acquaintance with Marxists and New Deal economists shaped him into a capitalist with a conscience. Rapoport goes on to describe his liberal activism as a supporter of Democrats from Ralph Yarborough to Tom Daschle to his good friends Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, an underwriter of the political journal The Texas Observer, a regent of the University of Texas System, a supporter of the state of Israel, and a champion of at-risk students. This updated edition includes material Rapoport and Don E. Carleton produced between 2009 and 2011 that addresses Rapoport's views on political and economic developments since the book was originally published.

Being Rapoport: Capitalist with a Conscience

Rapoport, Bernard

Product Description 
Gaylon Finklea Hecker and Marianne Odom began the interviews for this book in 1981 and devoted a professional lifetime to collecting the memories of accomplished Texans to determine what, if anything, about growing up in the Lone Star State prepared them for success. 
The resulting forty-seven oral history interviews begin with tales from the early 1900s, when Texas was an agrarian state, and continue through the growth of major cities and the country’s race to the moon. Interviewees recalled life in former slave colonies; on gigantic ranches, tiny farms, and sharecropper fields; and in one-horse towns and big-city neighborhoods, with relatable stories as diverse as the state’s geography. 
The oldest interviewees witnessed women earning the right to vote and weathered the Great Depression. Many remembered two world wars, while others recalled the Texas City explosion of 1947 and the tornado that devastated Waco in 1953. They witnessed the advent of television and the nightly news, which helped many come to terms with the assassination of a president that took place too close to home. 
Their absorbing reflections are stories of good and bad, hope and despair, poverty and wealth, depression and inspiration, which would have been different if lived anywhere but Texas. 
 Review \nAn excellent book of oral history...This is an engaging book to read, with 47 Texans from various walks of life talking about their Texas childhoods. 
 ― 
Abilene Reporter-News Published On: 2021-07-10\n[ 
Growing Up in the Lone Star State] captures the grit, determination, hardships and joys of growing up in a land of opportunity. 
 ― 
San Antonio Express-News Published On: 2021-12-01 
 About the Author 
Journalists Gaylon Finklea Hecker and Marianne Odom have been collecting oral histories since 1981 and previously collaborated on The Businesses That Built San Antonio. Finklea Hecker is the author of four books about Texas history. Odom is a journalism professor at San Antonio College.

Growing Up in the Lone Star State: Notable Texans Remember Their Childhoods

Hecker, Gaylon Finklea

Odom, Marianne

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