A Guide to the Bernard Rapoport Oral History Collection, 1993-
Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator: | Rapoport, Bernard, 1917- | |
| Title: | Rapoport, Bernard, Oral History Collection | |
| Dates: | 1993 | |
| Abstract: | Comprising 28 audiocassette tapes, the Bernard Rapoport Oral History Collection, 1993, documents the experiences and opinions of Bernard Rapoport as well as his family, friends, and colleagues concerning labor unions, the Democratic Party, Rapoport's philanthropic endeavors and foundation, the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation, and his company, American Income Life Insurance Company. | |
| Accession No.: | 1993 | |
| Extent: | 28 audiocassette tapes | |
| Language: | Materials are written in English. | |
| Repository: | Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin | |
Biographical Note
Bernard Rapoport was born in 1917 in San Antonio, Texas. The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1939 with a degree in economics. In 1951 he founded the American Income Life Insurance Company in Waco, serving as chair and CEO of the company. This success in business led him to receive the 1999 Horatio Alger Award of Distinguished Americans, given to those who succeed despite adversity.
A former University of Texas System regent, 1993-1997, and major contributor to the university, Rapoport is widely known for his philanthropy and dedication to social justice, education, the Democratic Party, and the State of Israel. Rapoport has been active in numerous organizations such as the Central Texas Sickle Cell Anemia Association, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, the National Hispanic Center for Advanced Studies and Policy Analysis, the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, the Texas Observer, the United Negro College Fund, and the Jerusalem Foundation. Furthermore, he and his wife Audre founded the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation in 1987 with their personal contribution of $47 million. The foundation supports education, the arts, Jewish causes, participation in democracy, and health and human services organizations.
In 2002, Rapoport and Don Carleton published the memoir Being Rapoport: Capitalist with a Conscience (Austin: University of Texas Press).
Scope and Contents
Comprising 28 audiocassette tapes, the Bernard Rapoport Oral History Collection, 1993, documents the experiences and opinions of Bernard Rapoport as well as his family, friends, and colleagues. The audiotapes, July-October 1993, consist of eleven interviews conducted by Barbara Griffith and Don E. Carleton of the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for American History with Rapoport, Idel B. McLanathan, Hank Brown, Ray Marshall, and Fred Schmidt, among others. The interviews discuss Rapoport’s involvement in labor unions, the Democratic Party, his philanthropic endeavors and foundation, the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation, and his company, American Income Life Insurance Company.
Arrangement | ||
| The collection is divided into two series: | ||
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Restrictions
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research use.
For preservation purposes, the audiocassette masters are restricted. Copies are provided for patron use.
Index Terms | ||
| Subjects (Persons) | ||
| Rapoport, Bernard, 1917- -- Archives. | ||
| Rapoport family. | ||
| McLanathan, Idel Rapoport Bruckman, 1920-2011 | ||
| Brown, H. S. (Hank) | ||
| Marshall, F. Ray | ||
| Schmidt, Fred H. | ||
| Schmidt, Sonia | ||
| Hill, Forest G. (Forest Garrett), 1919- | ||
| Sale, Jim | ||
| Friedsam, H. J. | ||
| Friedsam, Reva | ||
| Mullinax, Otto B., 1912-2000 | ||
| Hay, Jess | ||
| Terrell, Charles, 1938- | ||
| Subjects (Organizations) | ||
| American Income Life Insurance Company. | ||
| Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation. | ||
| University of Texas System. Board of Regents. | ||
| University of Texas at Austin. | ||
| Democratic Party (Tex.) | ||
| Subjects | ||
| Philanthropists -- Texas. | ||
| Insurance -- United States. | ||
| Insurance -- Texas. | ||
| Labor unions -- United States. | ||
| Politics -- United States. | ||
| Places | ||
| Waco (Tex.) -- History -- 20th century. | ||
| Texas -- History -- 20th century. | ||
| United States -- Relations -- Israel. | ||
Related Material
See also the Bernard Rapoport Papers. |
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Bernard Rapoport Oral History Collection, 1993, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Processing Information
This collection is currently undergoing processing by Laurel Rozema, Rapoport Project Archivist.
Detailed Description of the Papers