The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 14, April 6, 2008, Article 19

WILLIAM A. PHILPOTT, JR. (1885-1971)

[Last week I asked for more information on William A. Philpott,
Jr.  Harry Cabluck forwarded a link to a web page on Philpott
at the University of Texas web site. Here are some excerpts.
-Editor]

Nestled in the file folders and portfolios comprising the
William A. Philpott, Jr. Collection, documents significant
to the study of Texas history have lain in quiet repose for
decades. Their arrival in Special Collections in July, 2004,
signals a new chapter in an odyssey that has taken many
interesting twists and turns.

Dallas resident, William A. Philpott, Jr. (1885-1971), served
as Secretary of the Texas Bankers Association from 1915 through
1964. For over fifty years, Philpott assembled and nurtured an
acclaimed collection of books, maps, historical manuscripts,
national bank notes and coins. In 1969, Philpott prepared for
the dispersal of his manuscript materials by publishing a
Texiana catalog, including two addenda. A third addendum
followed in 1973, after his death. In the introductory remarks
to Texiana, Philpott reflected on his collecting career: "…The
project was an all-consuming hobby, and has paid off adequately
by pleasant excursions with great men and events of the past;
in promoting mental composure; and in lasting satisfaction of
the soul.…I am sad at heart to contemplate passing on these
treasures to others…."

A Houston businessman purchased a significant portion of
the Philpott Collection in 1973. The new owner later pledged
his Philpott documents to a Houston bank as collateral for
debt obligations. In l986, a portion of the pledged collection
was publicly auctioned by a Dallas art gallery; the remaining
documents continued to secure the debt. Through a series of
bank mergers, custody of the remaining documents ultimately
passed to Wells Fargo Bank Texas, N.A. in 1996. Recognizing
the historical significance of the materials, Wells Fargo sought
a public institution where its Philpott Collection would be
available for research and study. In July, 2004, through the
generosity of the Summerlee Foundation in Dallas, the William
A. Philpott, Jr. Collection was acquired by The University of
Texas at Arlington Libraries Special Collections where it will
soon be available for research.

The Philpott Collection is comprised of some 215 Texana and
other historical documents and manuscripts, divided into 185
lots. Diverse in nature, the documents reflect its creator’s
collecting interests. The oldest item is a 1633 French document
signed by the Engraver of the Mint under King Louis XIII. The
most recent is a 1956 Texas Bankers Association Dallas convention
program.

[The article mentions another University holding, "the Texas
Currency and Land Scrip Collection" which should be of interest
to numismatists.  -Editor]

To read the complete article, see:
Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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