B W Aston
Encyclopedia
B W Aston was an American
historian
whose career embraced local and regional history as well as Latin America
n studies. From 1967-2001, he was a faculty member at Baptist
-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University
in Abilene
, Texas
.
Aston (the B W stood for nothing) was born in Fort Worth
to Ernest Roy Aston and Mural Aston (1905–1979). He graduated from Technical High School in Fort Worth and enrolled briefly at Arlington Junior College in Arlington
, Texas, now part of Tarrant County College
. He served in the United States Air Force
from 1955-1958. He then entered Texas Tech University
in Lubbock
, from which he received the Bachelor of Science
(1962) in education and Master of Arts
(1964) and Ph.D.
(1972) in the field of history.
He was the chairman of the Hardin-Simmons History Department from 1972–1992, dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 2000–2001, director of the evening college (1972–1978), supervisor of the Abilene Photographic Collection (1980–2001), and head of the Rupert Richardson
Research Center from 1981-2001. A vice president and then president of the faculty, he was named "Faculty Member of the Year" in 1989. He took three periods of sabbatical leave, having conducted research in the Dominican Republic
(1984) and Belfast
, Northern Ireland
(2000). In 1993, he taught at Massey University
in New Zealand
.
Aston was affiliated with the Texas Folklore Society
in Nacogdoches
, the National Popular Culture Society, and the Southwest Council of Latin American Studies, the latter from 1973 until his death. He was also active in the West Texas Historical Association
, having served as its secretary-treasurer (1972–1998), associate Year Book editor (1976–1998), executive director (1992–1998), and life director (1999 until his death). In 1998, as Aston left the position of WTHA executive director, the association relocated from Hardin-Simmons to Texas Tech and became an integral part of the Southwest Collection.
His dissertation at Texas Tech is entitled The Public Career of Don Jose Ives Limantour, the story of the Mexican
politician
Jose Ives Limantour
, who lived from 1854-1935. His professional publications and lectures include Limantour and Mexico's Conversion to the Gold Standard, Boom and Bust Along the T&P, The Use of Female Imagery In The Selling of World War II, and NAFTA
, Mexico, and the 1994 Gold Rush. In 1996, Aston and Ira Donathan "Don" Taylor updated and augmented Rupert Richardson's Along Texas Old Fort Trails. Aston traveled throughout the United States, Canada
, and to some sixty other countries.
Aston served on the Landmarks Commission of the Taylor County
Historical Society and the Abilene Committee for the Humanities. He was active in the University Baptist Church and thereafter the Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, both in Abilene. For some three decades, he was a deacon
and Sunday school
teacher, his last assignment having been the couples class at Pioneer Drive church.
On August 26, 1961, Aston married the former Lillie Mae Fields (born ca. 1940). Aston died in Abilene of a long illness. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Verlon R. Aston (1925–1999). In addition to his wife, he was survived by a brother, Weldon Roy Aston (born ca. 1932) of Fort Worth; three nephews and a niece. Interment services were held on March 29 at Mount Pleasant Cemetery near Tolar
in Hood County near Granbury
, Texas. Memorial services were conducted on March 30 at Pioneer Drive church.
Alan Stafford, current dean of the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts at Hardin-Simmons, described Aston, accordingly:
"Dr. Aston was a wonderful Christ
ian gentleman who dearly loved HSU. [An] outstanding professor who touched the lives of thousands of our students, he was an inspiration to several generations of young HSU faculty members. He told me once that he was excited about coming to work every single day. Working with him always inspired me to do my very best, and much of my career success came from observing and learning from his positive approach to teaching, learning, and life in general."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
whose career embraced local and regional history as well as Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n studies. From 1967-2001, he was a faculty member at Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas, United States.-History:Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher...
in Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Aston (the B W stood for nothing) was born in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
to Ernest Roy Aston and Mural Aston (1905–1979). He graduated from Technical High School in Fort Worth and enrolled briefly at Arlington Junior College in Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, Texas, now part of Tarrant County College
Tarrant County College
Tarrant County College ' or Tarrant County College District is a community college serving the Fort Worth area in Tarrant County, Texas and providing degree programs toward an Associate of Arts, an Associate of Applied Science or Associate of Arts in Teaching...
. He served in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
from 1955-1958. He then entered Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, from which he received the Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
(1962) in education and Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(1964) and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(1972) in the field of history.
He was the chairman of the Hardin-Simmons History Department from 1972–1992, dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 2000–2001, director of the evening college (1972–1978), supervisor of the Abilene Photographic Collection (1980–2001), and head of the Rupert Richardson
Rupert N. Richardson
Rupert Norval Richardson, Sr. , was an American historian and a former president of Baptist-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas...
Research Center from 1981-2001. A vice president and then president of the faculty, he was named "Faculty Member of the Year" in 1989. He took three periods of sabbatical leave, having conducted research in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
(1984) and Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
(2000). In 1993, he taught at Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Aston was affiliated with the Texas Folklore Society
Texas Folklore Society
The Texas Folklore Society is a non-profit organization formed in 1909. John Avery Lomax and Leonidas Warren Payne, Jr., conceived the idea for the Society and served as its first officers....
in Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
, the National Popular Culture Society, and the Southwest Council of Latin American Studies, the latter from 1973 until his death. He was also active in the West Texas Historical Association
West Texas Historical Association
The West Texas Historical Association is an organization of both academics and laypersons dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the total history of West Texas, defined geographically as all Texas counties and portions of counties located west of Interstate 35.-Formation of the...
, having served as its secretary-treasurer (1972–1998), associate Year Book editor (1976–1998), executive director (1992–1998), and life director (1999 until his death). In 1998, as Aston left the position of WTHA executive director, the association relocated from Hardin-Simmons to Texas Tech and became an integral part of the Southwest Collection.
His dissertation at Texas Tech is entitled The Public Career of Don Jose Ives Limantour, the story of the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
Jose Ives Limantour
José Yves Limantour
José Yves Limantour was a Mexican politician, Secretary of the Finance of Mexico from 1893 until the fall of the Porfirio Díaz regime in 1911.José Yves Limantour was the illegitimate son of Joseph Yves Limantour....
, who lived from 1854-1935. His professional publications and lectures include Limantour and Mexico's Conversion to the Gold Standard, Boom and Bust Along the T&P, The Use of Female Imagery In The Selling of World War II, and NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
, Mexico, and the 1994 Gold Rush. In 1996, Aston and Ira Donathan "Don" Taylor updated and augmented Rupert Richardson's Along Texas Old Fort Trails. Aston traveled throughout the United States, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and to some sixty other countries.
Aston served on the Landmarks Commission of the Taylor County
Taylor County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 126,555 people, 47,274 households, and 32,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 138 people per square mile . There were 52,056 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile...
Historical Society and the Abilene Committee for the Humanities. He was active in the University Baptist Church and thereafter the Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, both in Abilene. For some three decades, he was a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
and Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
teacher, his last assignment having been the couples class at Pioneer Drive church.
On August 26, 1961, Aston married the former Lillie Mae Fields (born ca. 1940). Aston died in Abilene of a long illness. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Verlon R. Aston (1925–1999). In addition to his wife, he was survived by a brother, Weldon Roy Aston (born ca. 1932) of Fort Worth; three nephews and a niece. Interment services were held on March 29 at Mount Pleasant Cemetery near Tolar
Tolar, Texas
Tolar is a city in Hood County, Texas, United States. The population was 504 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Granbury, Texas Micropolitan Statistical Area.The Texas historian B W Aston is interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery near Tolar.-Geography:...
in Hood County near Granbury
Granbury, Texas
Granbury is a city in Hood County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,718. It is the county seat of Hood County and the principal city of the Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, Texas. Memorial services were conducted on March 30 at Pioneer Drive church.
Alan Stafford, current dean of the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts at Hardin-Simmons, described Aston, accordingly:
"Dr. Aston was a wonderful Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
ian gentleman who dearly loved HSU. [An] outstanding professor who touched the lives of thousands of our students, he was an inspiration to several generations of young HSU faculty members. He told me once that he was excited about coming to work every single day. Working with him always inspired me to do my very best, and much of my career success came from observing and learning from his positive approach to teaching, learning, and life in general."