ANNOUNCEMENT
Don Worcester, Papers 1986-1991 and undated
Now Available
Now available to the public and researchers the papers of Don Worcester. This collection of 1 box consists of correspondence and manuscripts dating from 1986 to 1991. The collection bulks of manuscripts pertaining to Worcester’s publications on southwestern history.
Don Worcester is a highly respected author and Spanish-Borderlands historian. He was born on April 29, 1915 in Tempe, Arizona but soon moved to his grandfather’s homestead on the edge of the Mojave Desert with his mother and brother. It was on this homestead that Worcester became a true cowboy, rodeoing with the Indians who lived on the nearby reservation and learning their way of life.
Worcester received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bard College in 1939 and his Masters Degree from the University of California at Berkley in 1940. After a stint in the Navy, he returned to the University of California at Berkley and received his Ph.D. in 1947. Worcester was at the University of Florida from 1947-1963, serving as the Chairman of the History Department from 1955-1959. He then took a professorship at Texas Christian University, serving as Chairman of the History Department from 1963-1972. Worcester has also played vital roles in many historical and literary organizations and reviews. Most notably, he served as the Phi Alpha Theta national president from 1960-1962. He was the president of the Western Writers of America from 1973-1974 and of the Western History Association from 1974-1975. Worcester also served as the Chairman of the Board of University Press Managers from 1961-1963 and was also the managing editor of the Hispanic American Historical Review from 1960-1965.
Researchers and the public would learn a great deal about the history of the "old West" through the manuscripts of Don Worcester. The collection can be accessed at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library during opening hours. Finding aids are available at the Reference Desk. For more information please contact the library and ask for the Reference Desk.