urn:taro:ttu.sw.00039 Harley Sadler: An Inventory of His Papers, 1922-1976 and undated, at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library Abel Ramirez The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library
The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library Texas Tech University MS 41041 Lubbock, Texas 79409 Phone: (806) 742-3749 Fax: (806) 742-0496 Webpage: http://swco.ttu.edu Contact Person: Reference Archivist
August 2000 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, February 2001. Finding aid written in English. Tue Jul 22 15:21:08 CDT 2003 urn:taro:ttu.sw.00039 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (20030505). Inventory for the Harley Sadler Papers, 1922-1976 and undated Abel Ramirez The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, August 2000 Descriptive Summary Sadler, Harley, 1892-1954 Harley Sadler Papers, 1922-1976 and undated Tent show owner and State Senator Harley Sadler achieved fame throughout the Southwest during his thirty-year career. S 884.1 Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University 2 boxes (2.0 linear feet) English. Biographical Sketch

A West Texas showman, oilman, and Texas legislator, Harley Sadler was also an actor and tent show owner. He traveled through the United States in tent shows during the period 1910 to 1944, primarily in Texas and the Southwest. Elected to the Texas Senate in 1943, he served until his death in 1954.

From the turn of the century through the era of the Great Depression, tent shows were a popular medium of entertainment particularly in rural areas. Harley Sadler and Harvey Haverstock were among the famous tent show owners in Texas and the Southwest.

The Handbook of Texas has published a more in-depth online biography of Harley Herman Sadler at http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/search.html

 Scope and Contents

The collection contains genealogical materials on the Sadler family, playbills and scripts from performances, artifacts, index cards of various plays, and news clippings. All deal with the tent show career of Harley Sadler and his wife, Billie. Some items are available on microfilm.

 Index Terms

The subject headings used by the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library are derived from the Library of Congress and/or locally developed.

Subjects (Persons) Sadler family--Genealogy Sadler, Harley, 1892-1954 Sadler, Harley, 1892-1954--Career in tent shows Sadler, Harley, 1892-1954--Contributions in politics and government Sadler, Harley, 1892-1954--Family Subjects (Organizations) Brunk's Comedians Harley Sadler's Own Show Places Texas--Genealogy Texas--Politics and government Texas--Social life and customs Subjects Entertainers--Texas, West Politics, Practical--Texas Tent shows--History--Sources Tent shows--Texas--History Theater, Open-air Theatrical producers and directors--Texas--History Traveling theater Vaudeville--Texas

Collection accession # (s): 94-0147-B

Gifts, 1974-1998 and undated

 Access Restrictions

Open for research

 Processed by

Abel Ramirez, August 2000

 Preferred Citation

Harley Sadler Papers, 1922-1976 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

 Additional Sources Ashby, Clifford. Trouping Through Texas: Harley Sadler and His Tent Show. Ohio: Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1982.

For related materials located in the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, see the following collections:

Clifford Ashby Papers, 1977 Zachary Ball Papers, 1922-1934 Zachary Ball oral history interview [sound recording], 1975 Maurice Brooks, Tom Gordon and J.F. Connaly oral history interview [sound recording], 1975 Henry L. and Mercedes Brunk oral history interview [sound recording], 1979 Henry L. Brunk Papers, 1922-1975 Harvey Haverstock Papers, 1893-1976 Paul C. Kalmbacher Papers, 1878-1970 Jerry Sadler oral history interview [sound recording], 1981 Collection Inventory 1 1 Scripts, 1933 and undated Artifacts 1 2 Artifacts- Floyd Lloyd Boots, 1 3 Artifacts- Jewelry, undated 2 1 Correspondence of Mrs. H. Sadler, 1954 2 2 Literary Production, undated 2 3 Printed Material, 1954-1955 2 4 Photograph, undated 2 5 Scrapbook Material (3 items), 1954 and undated 2 6 Printed Material 1922 and undated 2 7 Lifetime Pass, Harley Sadler and His Own Company, undated Scripts 2 8 The Grafters, undated 2 9 Lightning Love, undated 2 10 The Maid and the Minister 2 11 The Man from Texas of The Girl in the Spotlight, undated 2 12 St. Elmo, undated 2 13 Toby, undated 2 14 Toby Goes to Washington, undated 2 15 Where is Elmer?, undated 2 16 Untitled Script, undated 2 17 Photocopies of Program Advertisements, undated Literary Productions 2 18 The Brand; or Drifting Apart, undated 2 19 In Devil's Mine, undated 2 20 My Friend from Arkansaw, undated 2 21 St. Elmo, undated 2 22 Tess of the Storm Country, undated 2 23 Toby's Legacy, undated 2 24 Turn to the Right, undated 2 25 Under Arizona's Skies, undated 2 26 News clippings on Harley Sadler Tent Show, 1976 2 27 Printed Scripts List, undated