Betty Wilke Cox Papers An Inventory of the Collection


Overview of the Collection
	Creator:	Cox, Betty Wilke, 1928-2006
	Title:	Betty Wilke Cox Papers
	Inclusive Dates:	1910-2008
	Bulk Dates:	1996-2006
	Abstract:	Personal and professional records of Austin writer, editor and publisher Betty Wilke Cox.
	Identification:	AR.2005.009
	Quantity:	3.6 linear feet
	Language:	The records are in English.
	Repository:	Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, 810 Guadalupe, PO BOX 2287, Austin, TX 78768

Biographical Note

Betty Jean Wilke Cox-Hudman (1928-2006) of Austin was a writer, editor, Austin American-Statesman Neighborhood staffer, and newspaper reference librarian. Born September 25, 1928 in Fort Worth, she was the daughter of longtime editor and writer of the Fort Worth-Press, L.A. Wilke. Her mother was Viola Helen Anderson Wilke.

Cox-Hudman graduated from Gainesville High School in 1944 and went on to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree at Texas Woman’s University in Denton. She began her newspaper career as a reporter for the Nolan County News and Sweetwater Reporter in the late 1940s. She met Bill G. Cox, a reporter from Amarillo, while at the Reporter in 1947. They married and had a son, Mike Cox, who would go on to become an Austin American-Statesman staff writer and author.

Cox-Hudman moved from journalism to teaching and librarianship. She taught in Dallas and Del Valle, and worked for the Austin Public Library, the Texas State Library, Texas A&M’s Special Collections Library, the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Texas, and the Austin American-Statesman. She briefly ran a branch library in Phoenix, AZ.

After retiring in 1993, Cox-Hudman began a book publishing company, Woodburner Press, and operated a writing-editing consultancy, Hudman Editing. As a consultant, she assisted 14 books into publication. She was also the author of Liz Carpenter: Girl from Salado, a biography of Liz Carpenter, the former press secretary of Lady Bird Johnson.

Cox-Hudman was an active member of the Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church and did volunteer library work. She was also an avid reader, painter, and gardener. On August 28, 2006, Cox-Hudman died after a long struggle with congestive heart failure.

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Scope and Contents

Research materials, drafts, correspondence, creative works, printed material, photographs, clippings, and financial materials, divided into five series, tell of the life, work, and interests of Betty Wilke Cox. The “Personal” series details her interests, activities, and personal relationships. Providing excellent insight into her personal life is her correspondence with her son, Mike Cox. The four other series comprising Cox’s professional work Cox as an author and as proprietor of Woodburner Press and Hudman Editing. The research notes, materials, correspondence, and drafts in each of the series document her work as author, editor, researcher or publisher for Liz Carpenter, Harvey Gann, Will Wilson, and Ramiro “Ranger Ray” Martinez. Also documented is Betty’s work indexing Liz Carpenter’s autobiography Ruffles and Flourishes and reviewing the play Divine Lunacy. Anomalies in the collection are Betty’s extensive collection of material regarding the 1967 Austin City Council Election, the personal correspondence and speeches of Liz Carpenter, the personal scrapbook of Harvey Gann, which includes photographs and extensive clippings from his years in the Austin Police Department, and a collection of personal material and artifacts from Will Wilson, Sr.

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Arrangement
	The Collection is divided into five series, with some of the series divided into subseries.
		I. Personal
		II. Professional - Liz Carpenter Biography
		III. Professional - Hudman Editing Services
		A. Liz Carpenter
		B. Will R. Wilson
		C. Ramiro Martinez
		D. Assorted projects
		IV. Professional - Woodburner Press
		A. Harvey Gann
		B. Assorted projects
		V. Professional - Assorted Writing Projects

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None

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Index Terms
	This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
	Persons:
		Carpenter, Liz, 1920-
		Cox, Betty Wilke Hudman, 1928-2006
		Cox, Mike, 1948-
		Estes, Billie Sol, 1924-
		Gann, Harvey E., 1920-
		Haley, J. Evetts (James Evetts), 1901-1995
		Martinez, Ramiro "Ray," 1937-
		Sharp, Frank W., 1906-1993
		Smith, Ruby Simon
		Stewart, Ozella Thorn
		Sutherland, Thomas
		Waldon, Lewis
		Wallace, Ruth
		Wilson, Will R., Sr., 1912-2005
	Organizations:
		Hudman Editing Services
		Texas Press Association
		Woodburner Press
	Places:
		Austin (Tex.)
	Subjects:
		Publishers and publishing – Texas – Austin

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Related Material


	AR.1991.098 - Mike Cox Papers

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Separated Material

Many published materials came with the donation. Most of these were newsletters of area organizations (i.e., Austin Writer’s League) and were returned to the donor as the AHC already had copies. A few publications were added to the General Collection, Periodicals, and the Austin Files at the AHC:

General Collection:

2002 Texas Newspaper Directory. Texas Press Association. 2002.
Austin’s Blueprint for Laughter. Women’s Architectural League of Austin. 1977.
Gann, Harvey. Escape I Must! Woodburner Press, 1995.
Herskowitz, Mickey. Sharpstown Revisited: Frank Sharp and a Tale of Dirty Politics in Texas. Eakin Press, 1994.
Modisett, Bill. J. Evetts Haley: A True Texas Legend. Staked Plains Press, 1996.
Osborne, W. C. “Os.” Running High, Looking Good. Woodburner Press, 1996.
Smith, Ruby S. Wine, Cheese and Bread: A POW’s Survival Story in Italy. Woodburner Press, 1998.
Speeches Delivered at the Attorney General’s Eleventh Annual Law Enforcement Conference, September 29, 1961.
Wallace, Ruth M. Wings ‘n Things. Woodburner Press.
York, Donna Hartley. Austin Area Publications Directory. 1981.

Periodicals:

Austin Report. vol 12, nos. 28 and 29

Austin Files:

Texas Trade & Paper show
Balcones District
Aqua-Olympics
Eakin Press
Austin Saengerrunde
Woman’s Way

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Series I. Personal
	Series Abstract Information about or gathered by Betty Cox about general Austin topics and her son, Mike Cox
Box	Folder
1	1	Correspondence, Mike & Betty, 1970-79
	2	Correspondence, Mike & Betty, 1980-84, n.d.
	3	Correspondence & newsletters, 1991-2003
	4	Correspondence – Austin Writer’s League, 1994; n.d.
	5	Letters, news clippings, and Voter’s Guide, 1967 City Council Election, 1967
	6	Election material (J. J. Pickle, Walter Mondale), 1968; n.d.
	7	Handwritten obituary of Betty Cox
	8	Assorted material
	9	Photographs

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Series II. Professional. Liz Carpenter biography
	Series Abstract In 1993, Cox published a biography of Liz Carpenter called A Girl from Salado. This series includes all of Cox's research materials and correspondence from this project, including a small collection of Carpenter personal materials gathered by Cox during her research.
		Subseries A. A Girl from Salado.
Box	Folder
1	14		Research notes & material
	15		Research notes & material
Box	Folder
2	1		Reference material sent to Cox; research notes, 1992, n.d.
	2		Research notes, materials, and handwritten drafts, 1992, n.d.
	3		Research notes, materials, and handwritten drafts, 1993, n.d.
	4		Clippings & pamphlets, 1970-2001
	5		Draft sent to Carpenter, 1993
	6		Marked draft, chapters 1-5
	7		Marked draft, chapters 6-10
	8		Marked draft, chapters 11-16
	9		Draft sent to Eakin Press, 1993
	10		Draft sent to Eakin Press, 1993
	11		Manuscript copy sent from Eakin Press to Cox, 1993
Box	Folder
3	1		Publications & statements, 1994, n.d.
	2		Correspondence – Cox, 1991-1997, n.d.
	3		Correspondence – Eakin Press, 1992-1994
	4		Eakin Press, assorted material, 1990-1995, n.d.
		Subseries B. Liz Carpenter personal material
Box	Folder
3	6		Correspondence and speeches, 1991, n.d.
	7		Photograph, 1993

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Series III. Professional. Hudman Editing Services
	Series Abstract This series includes four subseries: Liz Carpenter, Will Wilson, Ramiro Martinez, and Assorted Projects.
		Subseries A. Liz Carpenter
			Subseries Abstract In addition to the biography of Carpenter, Cox indexed Carpenter's memoir, Ruffles & Flourishes when it was republished by Texas A&M UP in 1993.
Box	Folder
3	5		Ruffles & Flourishes assorted material, 1992
		Subseries B. Will R. Wilson
			Subseries Abstract Wilson had a long career as an attorney and numerous public offices. Cox edited his account of the Watergate affair, A Fool for a Client, and an unpublished memoir/biography written by Wilson and Jack Keever. This subseries includes personal materials related to Wilson
Box	Folder
5	1		Correspondence, Wilson to Cox, 1994-2000
	2		Correspondence, Cox to Wilson, 1996-2002
	3		Correspondence, from Cox, 1995-1999
	4		Correspondence, from Cox, 2000-2003, n.d.
	5		Correspondence, to Cox, 1994-2000
	6		Correspondence, to Cox, 2000-2003, n.d.
	7		Correspondence, to Wilson, 1993-2001
	8		Correspondence, from Wilson, 1997-1998
	9		News clippings on Wilson, Marjorie Wilson, and Lou Wilson, 1959-1962, n.d.
	10		News clippings: political campaigns, 1956-1962, n.d.
Box	Folder
6	1		News clippings: crime, 1956-1969, n.d.
	2		News clippings: Tidelands legislation, 1951-1960
	3		News clippings: Billie Sol Estes, 1962
	4		News clippings: Frank Sharp, 1971
	5		Handwritten notes on Wilson and related subjects
	6		Printed notes on Wilson and related subjects
Box	Folder
7	1		Draft (incomplete), 1998-01
	2		Draft, 1999-06
Box	Folder
6	7		Law School final exam, 1936
	8		Dallas District Attorney report
	9		Texas Attorney General campaign materials, 1956
	10		Texas Governor campaign materials, 1962
	11		US Senate campaign materials, 1961
	12		Assistant US Attorney General – assorted material, 1969-1972
	13		Notes
	14		Personal letter, poem, 1953, n.d.
	15		Marjorie Wilson – correspondence, assorted material, 1960-1961, n.d.
	16		Photographs, 1910-1972, n.d.
Box	Folder
7	3		Oral history transcripts – Wilson interview by Jack Keever, 20023
	4		Draft of “The Will to Win” – unpublished manuscript by Wilson and Keever., 2002
Location	BoxItem
qAR	19/077		Will Wilson for Senator editorial cartoon, 1961
	19/078		Will Wilson for Senator editorial cartoon, 1961
	19/079		Will Wilson for Senator editorial cartoon, 1961
		Subseries C. Ramiro Martinez
			Subseries Abstract Martinez was one of the APD officers that shot Charles Whitman in 1966 at the University of Texas tower shootings. Cox edited his book, They Call Me Ranger Ray, published by Rio Bravo Publishing in 2005.
Box	Folder
8	1		Correspondence, 2004-2006
	2		Notes & partial drafts
	3		Draft, with corrections
	4		First proof (manuscript)
		Subseries D. Assorted Projects
Box	Folder
8	5		Correspondence, 2001-2003, n.d.
	6		Correspondence - Texas Press Association (TPA), 2001-2003
	7		TPA Messenger Index, 1940s.
	8		TPA Messenger Index, 1950s.
	9		TPA Messenger Index, 1960s.
	10		John Midkiff book – notes & correspondence, 1998-2003, n.d.
Box	Folder
9	1		Ozella Thorn Stewart – notes & correspondence, 1998, n.d.
	2		Ozella Thorn Stewart – edited manuscript, “Just Me or, How I Survived my Texas Childhood.”, 1995
	3		J. Evetts Haley – Correspondence, 2003-2004
	4		J. Evetts Haley – drafts & notes

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Series IV. Professional. Woodburner Press
	Series Abstract This series includes two subseries: Harvey Gann and Assorted Projects.
		Subseries A. Harvey Gann
			Subseries Abstract Harvey Gann was a long time Austin police officer. He wrote a book about his experiences as a POW during World War II, Escape I Must!, published by Cox in 1995. This subseries includes personal information related to Gann.
Box	Folder
3	8		Notes & research materials, 1994, n.d.
	9		Correspondence, 1979-1998, n.d.
	10		Early draft fragments and notes
	11		Illustrations and artifacts, 1937-1995, n.d.
	12		Publicity materials, 1995, n.d.
	13		Financial notes
Box	Folder
4	1		Marked page proofs
	2		Scrapbook (1 of 4) – front matter
	3		Scrapbook (2 of 4)
	4		Scrapbook (3 of 4)
	5		Scrapbook (4 of 4) – back matter
	6		Photographs, 1937-1941, n.d.
	7		Photographs (color)
		Subseries B. Assorted Projects
Box	Folder
9	7		Correspondence, 1996-2002, n.d.
	8		Assorted material
	9		Ruby Simon Smith, Wine, Cheese & Bread – notes & correspondence, 1996-1998, n.d.
	10		Ruth Wallace, Poems – notes, correspondence, and drafts, 1997-2002, n.d.
	11		Lewis Waldon, A Dog Called Friday – notes & correspondence, 1998, n.d.
	12		Invoices & financial records, 1996-1998

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Series V. Professional. Assorted Writing Projects
	Series Abstract This final series includes creative works written or edited by Cox where there is no indication that they were a product of her editing or publishing business.
Box	Folder
1	10	“Snowbird.”
	11	Short Story
	12	Northwest Neighbor, notes & correspondence, 1985-1988
	13	Review of Divine Lunacy, Hyde Park Theater, 1994
Box	Folder
9	5	Austin Area (Neighborhood) Analyses, 1988
	6	Kay Sutherland – Interviews with Tom Sutherland, 1992

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