Although John Wayne died in 1979, one Lamar alumnus has kept his name and his legendary status before hundreds of students for many years. Archie McDonald ’58, professor of history at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA), began a mini-session course in 1977 using the films of the legendary actor as the vehicle for teaching the history of the Old West. The class quickly became one of the most popular on campus.
“Most people learn history from media and in my day that was motion pictures,” said McDonald. “Many of the ideas the average American has, especially about the last frontier west, is from western movies—and who better to depict that than John Wayne.”
The John Wayne course was created at the request of LU alumnus and current Texas state legislator Jim McReynolds ’68, who at the time was the summer school coordinator at SFA. The mini-session course requires three-hour lectures every day for 15 class days. That’s a lot of lecturing every day, so McDonald decided to let the “Duke” carry most of the load.
“I used his films to illustrate different aspects of the west. I always started out with Stagecoach because that’s his first major picture,” he said. “With it, I gave a lecture illustrated the history of the movie with which I wanted the students to make a connection. I wanted them to enjoy the film, but I was also able to expand on things such as modes of transportation and occupations associated with those modes of transportation.”
Some of his colleagues were skeptical about the course; however, after a few visits by fellow faculty members, word spread that the course was a legitimate learning experience.
Born in Beaumont, McDonald credits many Lamar instructors with having a decided influence on his life and career—in particular, life-long friend Ralph Wooster, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of history who recently retired from the classroom after teaching at Lamar more than 50 years, but McDonald looks back and is most grateful for two courses that shaped his career: typing and speech.
“These two courses were probably the most important to me because I have spent so much time writing and public speaking. The late Arnold Anderson was my speech instructor and was probably the most influential instructor I had at Lamar,” he said. “He taught me to stand up in front of an audience without falling on my face. I also met my wife of 49 years, Judy Barrett, while we were on the debate team, so I have some fond memories of speech class.”
Today, the Texas historian has pared down his class load significantly and spends a good deal of his time writing and traveling throughout Texas and the nation on speaking engagements. In 1970, he added a new facet to his speaking engagements, playing the guitar and singing songs from periods of history. A request from the Baton Rouge Civil War Round Table to perform songs from the period was the start of a program he has since presented all over the country. Along with the Civil War tunes, he also sings vintage Texas music, political campaign songs and the music of World War II.
History lovers can gain glimpses of Texana from McDonald in his syndicated weekly column “All Things Historical” in more than 80 newspapers. A prolific author with more than a dozen books under his belt, McDonald has edited more than 20 others. The most notable of these is Make Me a Map of the Valley: The Journal of Jedediah Hotchkiss, regarded as one of the 100 most important books on the Civil War. But, the book that perhaps garnered the most notoriety for the Texas historian is Helpful Hints for Househusbands of Uppity Women, a work that earned him a guest spot on “CBS This Morning.” The show’s producer chose the book because he liked the title and invited the author and his wife for an interview.
“We were apprehensive about the title because we were afraid it might offend some people,” McDonald said. “Judy and I were picked up at the hotel in a very nice stretch limousine and driven to the studio. When we finished the interview, the car that picked us up was an old clunker with a huge crack in the windshield. So our fame was over, and the come-down was swift.”
McDonald has served in many positions of authority in community organizations, including executive director for the East Texas Historical Association, on the governing board of Nacogdoches Medical Center as a board member and on the advisory board for the National Public Radio station, Red River Radio, based in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was through this association that he began a weekly radio commentary program on topics from gardening to political science, giving each a distinct Southern flavor. The program airs Friday mornings. McDonald remembers well the special program he was asked to present live immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“I want to refute something I have heard often for two days: America, indeed, the world, will be changed forever,” he said in his commentary. “Of course, things will change; they always change. But this stands yet like a rock: The idea of America, the real America, will remain a beacon for freedom in the world.”
McDonald has been teaching for 44 years and has been amply honored for his dedication and service to education. He was named a Distinguished Professor by the SFA Alumni Association in 1976; Regents’ Professor of History in 1985 and was the recipient of the SFA Foundation’s Faculty Achievement Award for Research. Amid the many accolades and accomplishments garnered throughout a lifetime of learning and giving, he still believes teaching is the highest priority for an instructor. Sharing his love of history through music, writing and commentary, McDonald believes his most important responsibility is his freshman-level history course.
Standing next to the life-size cutout of John Wayne and the prized autographed photo, McDonald says he believes the Duke would have been proud to know he helped to keep the romance and mystique of the Old West alive and well while also contributing to the education of countless history students through the years.
