- Roy Bedichek
Roy Bedichek (
June 27 ,1878 –May 21 ,1959 ) was a Texanwriter , naturalist andeducator .Biography
Early life and education
Roy Bedichek was born on
June 27 ,1878 inCass County, Illinois to parents James Madison Bedichek and Lucretia Ellen Craven. The family relocated toFalls County, Texas in 1884. Bedichek attended country schools and the Bedichek Academy, founded by his father inEddy, Texas . He enrolled at theUniversity of Texas at Austin in February 1898. He received his B.S. in 1903. Later in 1925, after returning as an employee of the University system, he earned his M.A.Employment
His first job after college was as a reporter for the "Fort Worth Record". Soon after, he was a high school teacher, first in
Houston, Texas and then inSan Angelo, Texas . Next, he worked as the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce inDeming, New Mexico . While in Deming, he was the Editor of the "Deming Headlight". By 1913, Bedichek had returned to Austin and become the secretary of the Young Men's Business League, which later was merged with the chamber of commerce. Subsequently, he was executive secretary of the Organization for Promoting Interest in Higher Education in Texas. Then, he served as city editor of the "San Antonio Express". Finally, in the fall of 1917, he began work in Austin with theUniversity Interscholastic League (UIL), which was then a part of the University of Texas Extension Bureau. He became the second Director of the league in 1922. [ [http://www.uil.utexas.edu/history/prev_directors.html UIL: History of the UIL ] ] He retired from this position in 1948.Writing
At the urging of his friends,
Walter Prescott Webb andJ. Frank Dobie , he took a leave of absence in February 1946 to write his first book, "Adventures with a Texas Naturalist". His second book and third books were awarded the Carr P. Collins Award for the best Texas book of the year by theTexas Institute of Letters . [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/BB/fbe21.html Handbook of Texas Online - BEDICHEK, ROY ] ] His last book was released posthumously.Friends
While his friends J. Frank Dobie and Walter Prescott Webb are more renowned outside of Austin, in the community all three are respected equally. In the late 1960s to the early 1970s, the
Austin Independent School District opened Middle Schools (then known as Junior Highs) named after all three men. Also, in 1994 a sculpture, known as Philosopher's Rock, portraying Roy Bedichek, J. Frank Dobie and Walter Prescott Webb was installed atBarton Springs Pool in Austin. The sculpture was fashioned in honor of their promotion of the preservation of Barton Springs. [ [http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2003/06/13/News/Statue.Honors.Three.Friends-494212.shtml Statue honors three friends - News ] ]Media
*A documentary, "Roy Bedichek's Vanishing Frontier," written, produced and directed by Ron Tranchin was shown nationally on PBS in April 2003. [ [http://www.kera.org/tv/productions/bedichek/ Roy Bedichek'S Vanishing Frontier ] ]
*A one-act play by Steve Moore, "Nightswim," about Bedichek, Dobie and Webb was first produced in Austin in Fall, 2004. [ [http://www.austin360.com/xl/content/arts/xl/04-oct/reviews_10-14-04.html XL | Reviews | 'Nightswim,' Conspirare & more - Oct. 14, 2004 ] ]Bibliography
*"Adventures with a Texas Naturalist" (1947)
*"Karánkaway Country" (1950)
*"Educational Competition: The Story of the University Interscholastic League of Texas" (1956)
*"The Sense of Smell" (1960)External links
* [http://www.utexas.edu/faculty/council/2000-2001/memorials/AMR/Bedichek/bedichek.html In Memoriam—Roy Bedichek]
* [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/00011/cah-00011.html A Guide to the Roy Bedichek Papers]
* [http://www.austinschools.org/campus/bedichek/about/aboutschol.htm Bedichek Middle School—Austin, Texas]
* [http://www.bedichek.org/roy/index.html Bedichek Families Home Page]
* [http://www.texasescapes.com/ClayCoppedge/Roy-Bedichek-Texas-Most-Civilized-Soul.htm Texas Escapes Online Magazine]References
Further reading
*Owens, William A. (1969) "Three Friends: Roy Bedichek, J. Frank Dobie, Walter Prescott Webb", Garden City, New York: Doubleday
*James, Eleanor (1970) "Roy Bedichek", Austin, Texas: Steck-Vaughn
*Owens, William A. and Grant, Lyman (Eds.) (1985) "Letters of Roy Bedichek", Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press
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