Elmer Kelton
Encyclopedia
Elmer Stephen Kelton was an American
journalist
and writer
, known particularly for his Western
novel
s.
, owned by the Scharbauer Cattle Company, in Andrews County, Texas — just east of the city of Andrews
— to Robert William "Buck" Kelton- (30 June 1901—15 June 1980) and Neta Beatrice "Bea" (née Parker-; 15 May 1904—27 April 1993) Kelton.
When Kelton was three years old, the family moved to the McElroy Ranch located in the counties of Crane and Upton
, Texas, near the city of Crane
, south-southwest of Midland
. He spent the rest of his childhood at three different homestead
s on the McElroy Ranch, where his father was employed for thirty-six years.
After graduation from Crane High School, Kelton attended The University of Texas at Austin
in Austin
, Texas, in 1942-1944 and again from 1946–1948, when he earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in journalism
. From 1944-1946, Kelton had served in the U.S. Army
, with combat infantry
experience in Europe
during World War II
.
He and Anni Lipp, a native of Austria
, were married and they had three children. One son, Gerhard (also known as "Gary") of Plainview
, is a son of Anni's who was adopted by Kelton. The other son and a daughter are Steve Kelton and Kathy Kelton, both of San Angelo
. He also had three brothers, Merle Kelton and his wife, Ann, of May
, Texas; Bill Kelton and his wife, Pat, of Atlanta
, Texas; and Eugene Kelton and his wife, Peggy, of McCamey
, Texas.
From 1948-1963, Kelton was the farm
-and-ranch editor
for the San Angelo Standard-Times
. For five years he was editor of Sheep and Goat Raiser Magazine and another twenty-two years he was editor of Livestock Weekly, from which he retired in 1990.
His memoir
, Sandhills Boy, was published in 2007.
Three of his novels have been featured in Reader's Digest Condensed Books
.
Seven Kelton novels, Buffalo Wagons, The Day the Cowboys Quit, The Time It Never Rained, Eyes of the Hawk, Slaughter, The Far Canyon and The Way of the Coyote, have won Spur Award
s from the Western Writers of America
.
Three others, City: The Time It Never Rained, The Good Old Boys and The Man Who Rode Midnight, have received Western Heritage Awards from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
in Oklahoma City
, Oklahoma
.
The Good Old Boys was made into a Turner Network Television
film
, also named The Good Old Boys (1995) starring Tommy Lee Jones
.
In 1977, Kelton received an Owen Wister Award
for lifetime achievement (named for Owen Wister
, the author of The Virginian
). In April 1997, the Texas State Legislature proclaimed "Elmer Kelton Day". In 1998, he received the first Lone Star Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Larry McMurtry
Center for Arts and Humanities at Midwestern State University
in Wichita Falls
, Texas.
He has received honorary doctorates
from Hardin-Simmons University
in Abilene
, Texas, and Texas Tech University
at Lubbock
, Texas. Kelton also received a lifetime achievement award from the National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock. He is honored with a star in the sidewalk at the Fort Worth Stockyards
in Fort Worth
, Texas.
Kelton was working on another book but faced multiple health problems in the spring of 2009. The book was not completed before he died on August 22, 2009, of natural causes
.
His funeral was held on August 27, 2009, at the First United Methodist Church in San Angelo. A life-size statue of Kelton by Raul Ruiz displayed at the Stevens Central Library in San Angelo, Texas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, known particularly for his Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s.
Biography
Kelton was born at a place called Horse Camp on the Five Wells RanchRanch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
, owned by the Scharbauer Cattle Company, in Andrews County, Texas — just east of the city of Andrews
Andrews, Texas
Andrews is a city in and the county seat of Andrews County in the U.S. state of Texas within the West Texas region. The population was 10,448 in 2009. Along with Midland and Odessa, these cities form the Midland-Odessa Combined Statistical Area with a population of 241,316 in four counties...
— to Robert William "Buck" Kelton- (30 June 1901—15 June 1980) and Neta Beatrice "Bea" (née Parker-; 15 May 1904—27 April 1993) Kelton.
When Kelton was three years old, the family moved to the McElroy Ranch located in the counties of Crane and Upton
Upton County, Texas
Upton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,404. Its county seat is Rankin. The county is named for two brothers: John C. and William F. Upton, both Colonels in the Confederate army....
, Texas, near the city of Crane
Crane, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,191 people, 1,096 households, and 865 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,129.7 people per square mile . There were 1,278 housing units at an average density of 1,253.5 per square mile...
, south-southwest of Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
. He spent the rest of his childhood at three different homestead
Homestead (buildings)
A homestead is either a single building, or collection of buildings grouped together on a large agricultural holding, such as a ranch, station or a large agricultural operation of some other designation.-See also:* Farm house* Homestead Act...
s on the McElroy Ranch, where his father was employed for thirty-six years.
After graduation from Crane High School, Kelton attended The University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas, in 1942-1944 and again from 1946–1948, when he earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. From 1944-1946, Kelton had served in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, with combat infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
experience in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He and Anni Lipp, a native of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, were married and they had three children. One son, Gerhard (also known as "Gary") of Plainview
Plainview, Texas
Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,336 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainview is located at ....
, is a son of Anni's who was adopted by Kelton. The other son and a daughter are Steve Kelton and Kathy Kelton, both of San Angelo
San Angelo, Texas
San Angelo is a city in the state of Texas. Located in West Central Texas it is the county seat of Tom Green County. As of 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 93,200...
. He also had three brothers, Merle Kelton and his wife, Ann, of May
May, Texas
May is an unincorporated community in Brown County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 285 in 2000. Designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1981, Marker number 5377. -Geography:...
, Texas; Bill Kelton and his wife, Pat, of Atlanta
Atlanta, Texas
Atlanta is a city in Cass County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,745.-Geography:Atlanta is located at ....
, Texas; and Eugene Kelton and his wife, Peggy, of McCamey
McCamey, Texas
McCamey is a city in Upton County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,805 at the 2000 census. The Texas legislature has declared McCamey "the Wind Energy Capital of Texas" because of the many wind farms that have been built in the area. Its history, however, is primarily that of an oil...
, Texas.
From 1948-1963, Kelton was the farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
-and-ranch editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
for the San Angelo Standard-Times
San Angelo Standard-Times
San Angelo Standard-Times is a daily newspaper based in San Angelo, Texas, USA, since 1884. It is owned by the newspaper group, The E.W. Scripps Company....
. For five years he was editor of Sheep and Goat Raiser Magazine and another twenty-two years he was editor of Livestock Weekly, from which he retired in 1990.
His memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, Sandhills Boy, was published in 2007.
Three of his novels have been featured in Reader's Digest Condensed Books
Reader's Digest Condensed Books
The Reader's Digest Condensed Books were a series of hardcover anthology collections, published by Reader's Digest and distributed by direct mail. Each volume contained several current best-selling novels , abridged...
.
Seven Kelton novels, Buffalo Wagons, The Day the Cowboys Quit, The Time It Never Rained, Eyes of the Hawk, Slaughter, The Far Canyon and The Way of the Coyote, have won Spur Award
Spur Award
The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:...
s from the Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America, founded 1953, promotes literature, both fiction and non-fiction, pertaining to the American West. Although its founders wrote traditional western fiction, the more than five hundred current members also include historians and other non-fiction writers as well as authors...
.
Three others, City: The Time It Never Rained, The Good Old Boys and The Man Who Rode Midnight, have received Western Heritage Awards from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of American rodeo, photographs, barbed wire, saddlery, and early rodeo trophies...
in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
The Good Old Boys was made into a Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, also named The Good Old Boys (1995) starring Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
.
In 1977, Kelton received an Owen Wister Award
Owen Wister Award
Owen Wister Award is an annual award from the Western Writers of America given to lifelong contributions to the field of Western literature. Named for writer Owen Wister , it is given for "Outstanding Contributions to the American West".Originally given for "best book of the year", it was expanded...
for lifetime achievement (named for Owen Wister
Owen Wister
Owen Wister was an American writer and "father" of western fiction.-Early life:Owen Wister was born on July 14, 1860, in Germantown, a well-known neighborhood in the northwestern part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Owen Jones Wister, was a wealthy physician, one of a long line of...
, the author of The Virginian
The Virginian (novel)
This page is about the novel, for other uses see The Virginian .The Virginian is a pioneering 1902 novel set in the Wild West by the American author Owen Wister...
). In April 1997, the Texas State Legislature proclaimed "Elmer Kelton Day". In 1998, he received the first Lone Star Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry
Larry Jeff McMurtry is an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work is predominantly set in either the old West or in contemporary Texas...
Center for Arts and Humanities at Midwestern State University
Midwestern State University
Midwestern State University is a public liberal arts college in Wichita Falls, Texas, and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
in Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
, Texas.
He has received honorary doctorates
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from 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, and 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...
at 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...
, Texas. Kelton also received a lifetime achievement award from the National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock. He is honored with a star in the sidewalk at the Fort Worth Stockyards
Fort Worth Stockyards
The Fort Worth Stockyards is a historic district that is located in Fort Worth, Texas, north of the central business district. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District in 1976...
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...
, Texas.
Kelton was working on another book but faced multiple health problems in the spring of 2009. The book was not completed before he died on August 22, 2009, of natural causes
Death by natural causes
A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to natural agents: usually an illness or an internal malfunction of the body. For example, a person dying from complications from influenza or a heart attack ...
.
His funeral was held on August 27, 2009, at the First United Methodist Church in San Angelo. A life-size statue of Kelton by Raul Ruiz displayed at the Stevens Central Library in San Angelo, Texas.
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Spur Award Spur Award The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:... |
Novel | Buffalo Wagons |
| 1971 | Spur Award Spur Award The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:... |
Novel | The Day the Cowboys Quit |
| 1973 | Spur Award Spur Award The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:... |
Novel | The Time It Never Rained |
| 1974 | Western Heritage Award | Western Novel | The Time It Never Rained |
| 1977 | Owen Wister Award Owen Wister Award Owen Wister Award is an annual award from the Western Writers of America given to lifelong contributions to the field of Western literature. Named for writer Owen Wister , it is given for "Outstanding Contributions to the American West".Originally given for "best book of the year", it was expanded... |
Western literature | lifetime achievement |
| 1979 | Western Heritage Award | Western Novel | The Good Old Boys |
| 1981 | Spur Award Spur Award The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:... |
Novel | Eyes of the Hawk |
| 1988 | Western Heritage Award | Western Novel | The Man Who Rode Midnight |
| 1992 | Spur Award Spur Award The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:... |
Novel of the West | Slaughter |
| 1994 | Spur Award Spur Award The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:... |
Novel of the West | The Far Canyon |
| 2002 | Spur Award Spur Award The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:... |
Best Western Novel | Way of the Coyote |
External links
- elmerkelton.net, Kelton's official website
- Elmer Kelton's page. - Macmillan.com
- The Story of Elmer Kelton
- Kelton's papers, 1948-1985. - Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech UniversityTexas Tech UniversityTexas 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...
- Wall Street Journal on Elmer Kelton
- Elmer Kelton interview with Bradley D. Pettit. - AmericanCowboy.com
- Texas Rangers Audiobooks - GraphicAudio.net