NAME OF PERSON INTERVIEWED: Swenson, W. G "Bill" and A. M. C. "Swede" 2

Date of interview: October 10, 1969
Location of interview: Stamford, Texas
Length of interview: 3 tapes (4 hours)

Brief synopsis of interview: Bill and Swede Swenson discuss the SMS Ranches from their inception to today, and Miss Olive McDougle reads paper detailing the company’s history.

Topics:
Family life and background—letters of S. M. Swenson
Bethel Lutheran Church
Cattle—roundups, branding and marketing; problems with rustlers
Great Depression—government cattle shoot
Livestock—horses
Marlboro Cigarette ads
National Cowboy Hall of Fame
Swenson Land and Cattle Company—New York office; Flattop, Throckmorton, Tongue River and Spur ranches
Texas Cowboy Reunion—Stamford
Reva Bragg—company secretary
Frank S. Hastings—general manager
Sam Houston—letter to S. M. Swenson
Monte Ritchie
Will Rogers

full abstract

NAME OF PERSON INTERVIEWED: Swenson, W. G. "Bill", Olive McDougle and Reva Bragg

Date of interview: October 1969
Location of interview: Stamford, Texas
Length of interview: 1 tape (45 minutes)

Brief synopsis of interview: Bill Swenson talks about the Bethel Lutheran Church near Stamford, the operations of the Spur Ranch and the other Swenson properties, and the people who worked for each. Miss McDougle reads her short history of the Swenson Ranches, and company secretary Reva Bragg discusses her work.

Topics:
Bethel Lutheran Church
JA Ranch
Marlboro Cigarette ads
Spur Land Sales Office—operated by Charles A. and Clifford B. Jones
Spur Ranch—joint purchase by Swenson and Thomas Emory

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NAME OF PERSON INTERVIEWED: Szalkowski, Chester

Date of interview: February 12, 1972
Location of interview: Amarillo, Texas
Length of interview: 1 tape (30 minutes)

Brief synopsis of interview: Chester Szalkowski discusses his work as an aircraft mechanic at Amarillo Air Force Base from its opening to its closing.

Topics:
Military aviation—types of aircraft
Air Force fuel supply school
Motion pictures—movie "Air Force" filmed here
Strategic Air Command—operations at Amarillo AFB
World War II—early years at the base

full abstract

NAME OF PERSON INTERVIEWED: Takeuchi, Don

Date of interview: September 13, 1973
Location of interview: Snyder, Texas
Length of interview: 1 tape (30 minutes)

Brief synopsis of interview: Don Takeuchi, meteorologist for Meteorology Research Inc., discusses the theory, operation and evaluation of cloud seeding. He makes reference to the warm-cloud San Angelo project sponsored by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1970-72.

Topics:
Weather modification programs—cloud seeding
Federal-state conflict
San Angelo project—U. S. Bureau of Reclamation

full abstract

NAME OF PERSON INTERVIEWED: Talbot, Lyle 1

Date of interview: January 4, 1975
Location of interview: Lubbock, Texas
Length of interview: 2 tapes (1 hour, 5 minutes)

Brief synopsis of interview: Lyle Talbot, a former tent show performer, discusses his involvement with tent shows and motion pictures.

Topics:
Chautauquas—inferior to tent shows
Family background—father in show business
Motion pictures—film stars with tent show backgrounds
Theater—stock companies and vaudeville
Fred Astaire
Humphrey Bogart
Will Geer
Bob Hope
Katherine Hepburn
Ozzie and Harriet Nelson

full abstract

NAME OF PERSON INTERVIEWED: Talbot, Lyle 2

Date of interview: March 2, 1976
Location of interview: Lubbock, Texas
Length of interview: 1 tape (1 hour, 30 minutes)

Brief synopsis of interview: Lyle Talbot discusses his career in show business from hypnotists and tent shows to the movie industry.

Topics:
Family background—raised by grandmother; parents were actors
Hypnotists and magic shows—Talbot started out with one
Motion pictures—Talbot’s involvement
Theater—tent and rep shows, stock companies, vaudeville
Carole Lombard
Louis B. Mayer
Norma Shearer
Spencer Tracy
Henry B. Walfall—"Birth of a Nation"

full abstract

NAME OF PERSON INTERVIEWED: Tankersley, Cecil

Date of interview: April 27, 1972
Location of interview: Dallas, Texas
Length of interview: 1 tape (30 minutes)

Brief synopsis of interview: Cecil Tankersley, longtime employee and head steward at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, recalls his years of employment at this nationally-famous hotel and breifly discusses his personal background.

Topics:
Family background—Hunt County, Texas
Agriculture—Greenville, Texas
Adolphus Hotel—began employment there in 1936; head steward in 1943
Great Depression—work conditions
World War II—employee shortages

full abstract

NAME OF PERSON INTERVIEWED: Tankersley, W. H.

Date of interview: c. 1968
Location of interview: Brown County, Texas
Length of interview: 1 tape (20 minutes)

Brief synopsis of interview: W. H. Tankersley discusses the death of his forebear James Tankersley, who was killed by Indians, and touches on the early history of Brown County.

Topics:
Frontier life and settlement—Texas
Civil War—Texas frontier
Indian depredations
P. A. Tankersley—sheriff in 1866

full abstract

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