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Pool, William C.

William C. Pool

Biography

Dr. William C. “Bill” Pool (1919–1995) was born in Clifton, Texas. After attending Clifton public schools, Pool attended The University of Texas in Austin from 1937–1941. Pool then volunteered for service in World War II and served in the U.S. Air Force in China-Burma-India. After the war, Pool returned to UT to work on his MA and PhD in history. He was hired as a history instructor at Southwest Texas State Teachers College in 1947, later earning his PhD in 1949.

Pool was then called to serve in the Korean War in 1951. He served as a pilot instructor for twenty-one months in the Air Force. Pool returned to teaching at Southwest Texas in 1953 and taught at the university until his retirement in 1986. Along with his teaching duties, Pool coached the university's baseball team for several years. He is the author of several books, which explore topics such as Texas History, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Dr. Eugene Barker. He was the first faculty member to receive the university's Teaching Excellence Award.

Pool served on the San Marcos City Council for six years in the 1960s. He was also an influential member of the San Marcos Equal Opportunity Committee in the 1960s.

Texas 150 Oral History

Dr. Pool talks about his responsibilities as a history professor and baseball coach since coming to Southwest Texas State Teachers College in 1947. He relays his personal experiences and views on local politics, with specific mention of his Democratic viewpoints and work on the San Marcos City Council. He shares his memories of serving as faculty sponsor of the Student Veterans Association, serving in World War II, and working with history faculty and university presidents.

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PDF Transcript, Nov 13, 1985
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HTML Transcript, Nov 13, 1985

Full audio is available for this interview (November 13, 1985).  Request via Ask an Archivist.


History Department Oral Histories

Dr. William Pool talks briefly about people who were in the department when he arrived in 1947, and changes he saw in faculty and administration.

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PDF Transcript (Not yet available online)
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HTML Transcript, Dec 12, 1991

Full audio is available for this interview (December 12, 1991).  Request via Ask an Archivist.