DECADE OF THE 60s DISPLAY
July 28, 2006 - Display cases on the ground floor
of Collier Library currently contain materials from the library’s
archives dealing with the University during the period of the 1960s.
The display was created in conjunction with the Decade of the 60s
Reunion held on campus July 21 – 23. Among items on display are a
time-line of national events during the 1960s, photos of the campus,
student publications, college catalogues, commencement programs, special
event programs, meal tickets, banners, license plates, and other
University memorabilia. The 1960s was a time of extensive campus
growth, both in number of students and physical plant. Part of the
display focuses on the campus building expansion of the decade,
including additions to Collier Library. The display will continue
through the month of August.
PATTI WILLINGHAM
GIFTS WALKER, TEXAS RANGER SCRIPTS TO LINDSEY COLLECTION
April 21, 2005 -
University of North Alabama Dean of Information Technologies Dr. Garry
Warren announced today the gift of Walker, Texas Ranger scripts
from Patti Willingham, the wife of the late Noble Willingham, who
starred as “C. D. Parker” on that television series with Chuck Norris.
Mrs. Willingham had
contacted UNA director of university relations William M. Jarnigan last
fall after doing research on the Internet as to what various
universities are doing with gifts of scripts. She
was impressed with the collection that UNA alumnus Dr. George Lindsey
had started with his own scripts in the Collier Library archives.
Since the start of the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, several
of the stars featured, including Ernest Borgnine, have donated their
collections so that they are available for study.
She gave UNA six
boxes of material, including photographs, a Walker, Texas Ranger
scripts index, episode synopses, scripts, on-line schedules and other
related documents. Her husband was on the show from
1993 to 2000, when he left the show to run for Congress from Texas.
Mrs. Willingham, who is the author P. J. Willingham, had planned
to present the scripts in person, but was unable to do so because of
other obligations. She is preparing for the
publication of two new books this summer, A Field Day and
Jesus Calls His Apostles. (The first is a young
adult novel about self discovery. The latter is a
children’s rhyming picture book illustrated by her 90-year-old mother
Lea Ross and co-authored by her daughter Meghan Wills, Ph.D.)
Mrs. Willingham said,
“It is an honor to Noble and a pleasure for me to be part of Dr.
Lindsey’s efforts to develop a hands-on script library for UNA.”
Dr. Lindsey, who is
presiding over the 8th annual film festival at UNA this week,
said, “I appreciate Mrs. Willingham’s endorsement of what we are trying
to do here. This added collection puts us farther
down the road to building one of the biggest script collections around.
Had we had such material when I was a student here, I may have
been able to get a jump-start on my career. I want
students to be able to see these scripts and see how television and film
actors, screenwriters and directors work.”
UNA president Dr.
William G. Cale, Jr., said, “Mrs. Willingham’s gift is deeply
appreciated. She is adding to a collection that
contributes significantly to our growing commitment to the entertainment
industry.”
Mrs. Willingham said,
“I gave careful consideration to Noble’s fraternity and alma mater at
North Texas University, Baylor and the University of Houston as well as
mine at University of Texas-Austin. Basically, it
came down to two criteria: First, I wanted to
continue a program that reflected Noble’s philosophy of acting and the
film industry. George Lindsey’s script library does.
It puts the scripts in the hands of students.
Noble was not a ‘keeper of things.’ He was a
collector of experiences. He loved the process, the
adventure and the thrill of the unexpected. He gave
each scene his best creative effort, then on to the next one with no
regrets. Students can discover this attitude only by
physically using the scripts.”
Another factor was
the Mineola, Texas actor’s connections to Alabama.
“Alabama holds many
special filming experiences for Noble. He played
(the legendary Alabama coach) Bear Bryant. He filmed
Norma Rae in Alabama (Opelika) as well as other films.
He played General (Maxwell) Taylor in Good Morning Vietnam.
I understand Taylor once spoke at UNA. One of
Noble’s favorite roles was ‘Floyd,’ Flo’s boyfriend from the TV series
Alice and, of course, ‘Flo’ was played by Alabama native Polly
Holliday, who, incidentally, was born in George’s hometown of Jasper.”
Willingham was also
in Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story, which dealt with
the singer’s rebellion against Nashville and his move to Cullman,
Alabama. While living there, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, which is
across the Tennessee River from UNA.
“Noble always enjoyed
filming in Alabama. The state offers so many local
situations that define the human condition. Noble
admired and respected the people of Alabama because of their enduring
spirit and rugged individualism to always conquer adversity,” she said.
She and Willingham,
who died January 17, 2004, in Palm Springs, California, had become
friends of Lindsey and Borgnine while on a cruise several years ago.
“I know Noble would
want to contribute to George’s library. I am
impressed with George’s concept and initiative to establish a hands-on
student library. Noble and I were both educators and
believed in the Dewey method of learning by doing.
George’s script library gives students, cast and crew a valuable
opportunity to learn by doing from actual scripts and materials in
various filming situations,” she said.
After graduating from
North Texas State College, Noble Willingham earned a master’s degree in
educational psychology from Baylor University while working as a Humble
(Mobil) oil distributor. He taught government and
economics at Sam Houston High School in Houston, Texas, before following
his long-time dream of becoming an actor. He auditioned for a part in
the film The Last Picture Show, which was filmed in Texas. He won
the role, which led to another, in Paper Moon. He appeared in
more than 100 feature films, including Up Close and Personal,
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Chinatown, Good Morning,
Vietnam, City Slickers, City Slickers II and The
Distinguished Gentleman. He had a recurring role
in the television series Home Improvement and appeared as a guest
star on Murder, She Wrote, Northern Exposure, Quantum
Leap and others. He appeared in the CBS television film Men Don’t
Tell. His additional television film credits include Woman with a
Past, The Alamo and Unconquered. His last film
appearance was in Blind Horizon, starring Val Kilmer.
It was released posthumously.
UNA ALUMNI/IRAQI
WAR VETERAN PRESENTS PHOTOS/MATERIALS TO COLLIER LIBRARY
January
13, 2005 - A University of North Alabama alumnus who has just returned from
a tour of duty in Baghdad, Iraq, presented today to the Collier Library
Archives several items that may prove beneficial for scholarly research
for historians, political scientists and military science, journalism
and photography students.
Major Buddy Brook,
currently the chief of group operations for the 3rd Battalion
349th Infantry Regiment (Logistical Support Battalion) at
Camp Shelby, Mississippi, presented interim UNA president Dr. Garry
Warren, who is also dean of information technology, several items from
the war in Iraq, where he was a senior military advisor to the 9th
Brigade Iraqi Army.
Brook, who spent much
time in Baghdad advising the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in the formation
of a financial system, said, “I received a great education and wonderful
military science training at UNA and wanted to give this material which
may help educate people about the Iraqi war in a way that they have not
likely seen thus far. I have had the opportunity to
go to a place that has not been open to Western society in 30 years.
This material will show another side of that situation that the
Americans do not see or hear on the news every day.”
Dr. Warren, while
accepting the gift, said, “I am always amazed at the genuine loyalty of
UNA alumni who never forget their alma mater and who want to do things
such as Major Brook is doing that will add to UNA’s ability to educate
our constituency. These materials are very eye
opening and we encourage our students to use them in a way to better
understand their own futures in this world.”
Brook was also with a
team that trained the 9th Infantry Brigade and other Iraqi
units. In his assignments, he travelled throughout
Iraq.
While in Baghdad, he
would call his wife Sharon who works at Big River Broadcasting on Monday
mornings and Rex Holiday and Jimmy Oliver, of WQLT, had him giving
reports of what was happening with soldiers from the Shoals Area.
The “Baghdad Buddy” report series was captured on a compact disk,
which was among the items presented to the Collier Archives.
Also, he gave Warren
CDs containing more than 3,000 photographs shot in Iraq by himself, his
team and other coalition soldiers.
Other items
presented, for which he got military clearance to bring to the United
States, were a former Iraqi regime bayonet mounted on a plaque, a former
Iraqi regime uniform, Iraqi medals in a shadow box and film footage on
discs of Oporder briefs, Iraqi soldier training, etc.
One item of which he
is especially proud is a framed personal letter written from the Iraqi 9th
Brigade commander to the U.S. 3rd Brigade, 87th
Division commander in appreciation of U.S. soldiers being sent to Iraq.
This has been the only U.S. team among those training 27 Iraqi
battalions and nine Iraqi brigades at the time to have received such a
letter of appreciation.
While in Iraq, his
10-man advisory team, which is comprised of U.S. Army Reserve soldiers
from south Alabama and Mississippi, was presented five Bronze Stars, one
Purple Heart, eight Combat Infantry Badges, three Joint Service
Achievement Medals, five Joint Service Commendation Medals, 10 Army
Commendation Medals and 10 Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medals.
Brook is the owner of
the Buddy Brook Insurance, an Allstate agency, and Commerce Financial
Service in Sheffield.
He has served in Ft.
Lewis, Wash.; Ft. Bragg, NC; Camp Shelby, Miss.; and with the Alabama
Army National Guard.
NOTE: All of the photographs in the collection will
be available for public viewing in Collier Library.
Some will be available for publication via licensing through the
library.
COLLIER LIBRARY
GAINS T. S. STRIBLING ITEMS FOR COLLECTION
March
3, 2004 - William Smith and the
late Lindsey Stricklin, in recent years, diligently acquired items
relative to Pulitzer Prize-winning author T. S. Stribling for the
University of North Alabama archives and Smith added to that collection
today.
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T. S. Stribling portrait |
Smith, a UNA alumnus
and a Florence attorney, presented dean of information technologies Dr.
Garry Warren and archivist/librarian Cecile Nabors with more material
for the collection today as a prelude to Saturday’s Stribling
celebration which features UNA alumnus Dr. Ken Vickers, who recently had
published the book, T. S. Stribling: A Life of the Tennessee
Novelist. (Saturday’s event starts at 8 a.m. at Coby Hall and
is open to the public.)
Smith said, “With
these additions, Collier Library will have the most complete repository
of materials on the life and works of T. S. Stribling, who was one of
the best-selling authors in the nation between World War I and World War
II. The collection includes all of his novels, movie posters,
short stories, copies of all the doctoral and master’s theses about him,
his childhood journal and copies of the movie Birthright, adapted
from one of his novels.”
Dr. Warren, in
accepting the gifts, said, “The community-wide T. S. Stribling
Committee, chaired by William Smith, has been very diligent in procuring
items for this collection and we are very grateful for their work and
for what it means to UNA and the community.”
Mrs. Nabors added,
“These resources for our library archives will provide students,
faculty, staff and others one place to conduct research on T.S.
Stribling. Many of the items donated to the collection are
unpublished manuscripts and primary source material. We greatly
appreciate William Smith, Dr. Randy Cross and others who continue to
enhance the T.S. Stribling archive.”
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William Smith |
Smith gave a video
copy of Birthright, Oscar Micheaux’s 1939 adaptation of
Stribling’s novel. Micheaux, who was the first African-American to
produce a sound feature film, had produced in 1924 a silent film version
of the movie as a response to Birth of A Nation.
Birthright was among the first novels by a southerner to treat
racism in a serious manner.
Also in Collier are a
bibliography of Stribling’s works, including his short stories in
religious, pulp and detective magazines, three science fiction novellas
and a manuscript for the unpublished novel Design on Darkness.
Other items previously
delivered to Collier Library for the collection are the Pulitzer Prize
for literature Stribling received June 6, 1933 for The Store, the
middle novel of a trilogy about Florence.
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The tuxedo Stribling wore to accept the Pulitzer Prize |
Another UNA alumnus
Dr. Randy Cross, who edited Laughing Stock, an autobiographical
collection of Stribling’s letters and writings, has loaned Stribling’s
tuxedo, his Tam-o’-shanter and other clothing to the library.
Dr. A. Edward Foote,
an associate professor of speech communication and radio, television and
film, provided the book Kincheloe, McPherson and Related Families,
Genealogies and Biographies which contains information about
Stribling and his family. He has also supplied a copy of the
award-winning student-produced film adaptation, She Had Hair Like His
Sister’s, of a Stribling story. He has also taped the
Stribling celebrations on campus.
At his own expense,
Smith had microfilm copies made of Stribling’s papers in the Tennessee
State Library and Archives.
Stricklin, who died
January 26, 2004, was a professor emeritus of English, who championed
Stribling and who did much of the research for this project and
coordinated efforts for last year’s celebration of Stribling’s March 4
birthdate. He secured from family and friends photos, letters and
Stribling’s childhood journal.
Prior to all of them,
the late J. Nicholas Winn, who taught many years in the UNA Department
of English, had kept the legacy of Stribling alive on campus.
Stribling was living in a duplex a few doors down Poplar Street in
Florence from Winn when the former died in 1965. Winn
presented UNA with oil portraits of Stribling and his wife Lou Ella and
other items.
The professor
frequently made speeches about Stribling and did a summer-long
retrospective of the author’s work a few years before Winn died in 1997.
Stribling was a native
of Clifton, Tennessee, which is down the Tennessee River from Florence.
He graduated from Florence State Normal in 1903. He later clerked
for alumnus Gov. Emmitt O’Neal in Florence.
