A Guide to the Aubrey E. Skinner Papers, ca. 1834-1985

Biographical Note

Born in Vernon, Texas, on March 19, 1928, Aubrey Eugene Skinner was the first son of Hosea Emmitt and Johnnie Vera (Barnes) Skinner. Growing up in Kilgore, Texas, Skinner graduated from Kilgore High School in 1945. He graduated a co-valedictorian from Kilgore Junior College, with an Associate of Arts degree in chemistry, May 1947. He completed his undergraduate education at North Texas State College, September 1948 through August 1951, with a Bachelor of Arts in library science. From September 1951 until his death on July 6, 1985, Skinner was employed as the librarian at the Mallet Chemistry Library at the University of Texas at Austin. He earned a Master of Library Science degree in 1977. In addition to his love of librarianship, his interests included rare books, fifteenth century printing, Texas library history, Texas local and regional history, Christian thought, and literature. He authored two published books: Rowena Country, 1973, and Texas Library History: A Bibliography, 1983; and edited Frank Kaiser's Reminiscences of a Texas Ranger, 1967. Skinner also wrote over thirty articles and reviewed books for scholarly journals.

Scope and Contents

Correspondence, creative works, maps, photographs, microfilm, and printed material 1834-1985 (8 ft. 9 in.) document the life and research interests of Aubrey E. Skinner, 1928-1985. Skinner's personal papers, 1945-1985 (1 ft. 8 in.), bulk with creative works, 1945-1985 (1 ft. 3 in.), published and unpublished. Other records provide biographical material, 1945-1983 (.5 in.); correspondence, 1949-1984 (3 in.); and genealogical material, 1969-1976 (.5 in.). Included are correspondence dealing with The Handbook of Texas, and single letters from C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. The largest records series, more than one half, deals with the history of Texas (4 ft. 7 in.). Individuals, communities, institutions and movements are documented. The second largest group is a subseries on the history of Texas libraries to 1940 (3 ft. 11 in.). A substantial group concerns bibliography and the history of the book (2 ft. 1 in.). Included are materials on incunabula, the Bible, the Gutenberg Bible, and the Book of Common Prayer. A single series relates to chemistry. Small bodies of material discuss the history of Austin (5 in.), and poetry and prose (5 in.), including the Blithdale Press productions and works of and by Ezra Pound. Skinner's original order including his file-level descriptions have been followed in the Texas history and the bibliography series. A new order was imposed on the personal papers and poetry and prose series.

Most material produced before 1900: Photocopies.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Organization and arrangement are incomplete. Contact repository for further information.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Aubrey E. Skinner Papers, ca. 1488-1985, Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Collection