By Irene Wong

In 2008, the Harry Huntt Ransom Centennial Birthday Celebration was held at the University of Texas at Austin.

After the program and among the events was the book signing of Harry Huntt Ransom: Intellect in Motion, an official biography by Alan Gribben.  Alan “endeavored to tell virtually the entire story of the University of Texas and an unabridged history of its libraries.” Alan taught at UT Austin for seventeen years in the English Department, interviewed Ransom’s inner circle and his widow, contacted scores of his students, and understood the hierarchy of a university.  The biography is fully illustrated with photographs of Ransom’s early years,  his WWII service, and his career at UT Austin from English professor to Chancellor (1935-1971). Ransom’s administrative leadership calmed the the tumult resulting from the shooting from the Texas Tower, Civil Rights demonstrations, and Vietnam War protests. He also had an intellectual side that established the Humanities Research Center (now renamed the Harry Ransom Center).

As the unofficial editor who cut down Alan’s original 800-page manuscript to its published length I learned much about Ransom and his times. I re-read the book recently and marveled at how well it has held up.