Descriptive Summary
Robertson, Julian William Tex, 1909-
Julian Tex Robertson
Papers
1866-2007 Materials
are written in English.
2008-327
0.5 inch
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin
Collection documents the
career of Julian Tex Robertson, champion swimmer, University of Texas swim
coach, and founder of Camp Longhorn, as well as his ancestors and family
history.
Biographical NoteJulian Tex, Robertson was born on April
23, 1909 in Sweetwater, Texas to Francis (Frank) Garland Robertson and Nancy
Cornelia Emerson. Robertson began swimming competitively as a teenager in
Sweetwater. After graduating from Sweetwater High School, he moved to
California, where he attended junior college and improved his swimming. At the
1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Robertson served as an alternate on the U.S. water
polo team that won the bronze medal. He then swam on the University of Michigan
championship teams in 1934 and 1935. Robertson became the first full-time
University of Texas swim coach in 1935. He married Pat Hudson in 1939, and
together they founded Camp Longhorn, located at Inks Lake. Robertson served in
the U.S. Navy during World War II as a swim instructor and trainer in
underwater demolition tactics. He returned to Camp Longhorn after the war,
retiring from UT in 1950 to focus on running the camp. Throughout his life, he
continued promoting swimming in Texas, creating Working Exes for Texas Swimming
(WETS) and Texas Age Group Swimming (TAGS). Robertson died at Inks Lake, Texas
on August 27, 2007.
Scope and ContentsThe collection consists of photocopies of
original documents, 1866-2007, including clippings, correspondence,
photographs, genealogical material, obituaries, legal documents, and receipts.
The clippings primarily document Tex Robertson’s swimming record, his coaching
career at UT, and Camp Longhorn. Also included is a photograph of the 1939 UT
swim team in front of the Tower. The remainder of the collection relates to Tex
Robertson’s father, Francis (Frank) Garland Robertson (b. 1867), his
grandfather, Francis Garland Robertson (b. 1841), his grandmother, Ida
Hightower Robertson, and other Robertson ancestors. The correspondence consists
of letters from Frank Robertson (b. 1867) to relatives E. L. (Gene) and Nan
Angier. The genealogical information includes a brief biography of Henry C.
Robertson and notes on Hightower family history. The material is arranged in
the order in which it was received.
Access RestrictionsUnrestricted access.
Index Terms
Subjects (Persons)
Robertson, Julian William Tex, 1909-
Subjects
Robertson family.
Camp Longhorn (Inks Lake,
Tex.)
Preferred CitationJulian Tex Robertson Papers, 1866-2007,
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Detailed Description of the Papers
Inventory
2.325/F79d
Photocopies of original documents, including clippings,
correspondence, photographs, genealogical material, obituaries, legal
documents, and receipts,
1866-2007