United States, Navy
Arnold-Hightower Family Collection
The Arnold-Hightower Family Collection includes football photographs of games played at Texas College of Arts and Industries (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville) during 1938 – 1939. Donald Hightower and Warren Arnold are featured in the photographs. In 1941 Arnold received offers to play pro football for the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Chicago Bears. Two other Hightower students during those years were L. V. “Dugan” Hightower and Mildred Hightower. Wallace Arnold married Mildred Hightower and joined the Navy after America’s declaration of war. This collection contains information highlighting the college days and World War II of the Arnold and Hightower families.
Kenneth R. Armstrong U.S.S. Midway Collection
The U.S. Navy played an important role in the Vietnam War by conducting air raids against North Vietnam and evacuating civilians and South Vietnamese during the final days of the war. Most notably the USS Midway (CV-41) played an important role in the Evacuation of Vietnam (Operation Frequent Wind). The USS Midway was an aircraft carrier and the lead ship of her class. USS Midway also participated in Operation Desert Storm. She was decommissioned in 1992 and is now a museum. She will always be remembered for her participation in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War is still a controversial subject to this day.
Gray & Jesse Golden Collection
The collection of 2,325 Texanna volumes contains many rare and out of print editions that tell the history of South Texas from San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley.
Anse E. and Mary Windham Photo Collection
The Anse E. and Mary Windham Family collection chronicles the career of Anse as a Chief Air Traffic Controller in the Navy and the life of both Mary and Anse in Kingsville, Texas. During his enlistment, Anse served aboard the USS Hornet. In 1969 he was a witness to the recovery of the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 space capsules. After his retirement from the Navy in 1978 Anse continued to work as a civilian Air Traffic Controller for an additional twenty years. Both Anse and Mary were active in Kingsville’s local organizations. Anse continued to fly his plane, flying students who were tracking animals for the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and taking aerial photographs of South Texas.
Marie Bennet Alsmeyer Collection
The Marie Bennet Alsmeyer Collection is two stories, one about the life of Marie Bennet Alsmeyer, a freshman in the journalism department of Texas College of Arts and Industries in 1941, she left to join the Navy as a Wave after Pearl Harbor. The other story is about Dr. Otis Malvin Montgomery, a journalism professor at Texas College of Arts and Industries who influenced Marie Bennet Alsmeyer and also joined the Navy during World War II. He tells of his experiences in letters he wrote to his daughter, Linda, titled "Who Me, Stories from a Charmed Life." Marie Bennet Alysmeyer tells her story in the published monograph, "The Way of the Waves, Women in the Navy," and "Well Done, Mr. Monty... Carry On! Letters from O. M. Montgomery" by Marie Bennet Alsmeyer. The two became friends in 1941 and remained friends throughout their lives.
Dr. Otis Malvin (Monty) Montgomery Papers
Dr. Otis Malvin (Monty) Montgomery was a journalism professor at Texas College of Arts and Industries. This collection is an autobiographical account of his life from 1907 to 1993.
Robert and Melba Gafford Family Collection
The family collection of Robert and Melba Gafford begins even before their wedding in March 1952, in Gulfport, Mississippi where Bob met Melba while he was attending graduate training at Keesler AFB. Documents and photographs illustrate their careers and lives in Kingsville, Texas in the retail business, ranching, real estate and service in many civic organizations.
Bill and Marjorie Walraven Collection
The Bill and Marjorie Walraven Collection is the library of former Corpus Christi Caller-Times columnist Bill Walraven and his wife, Marjorie K. Walraven. The collection contains more than 700 books Mr. Walraven gathered over his lifetime, his columns for the Caller-Times , speeches he made throughout his career as a journalist and author, and other research notes. The Walravens have had an abiding love for Texas and respect for telling its story and wanted to honor Bill’s memory by making his collection available for use.