This book is a collection of fifty essays that were originally written for King Ranch's company newsletter between 1997 - 2010. These essays covered topics related to both King Ranch history, as well as South Texas.

"Covering 825,000 acres in the Coastal Plain and Brush Country of South Texas, King Ranch, established in 1853, looms large in Texas and American history. Since its founding by the energetic and visionary Richard King, it has indelibly captured for generations the essence of the American West. As Tom Lea asserted in his epic 1953 history, the spirit of the place "is alive in the land itself, in the far quietness of growing grass and grazing herds." In King Ranch: A Legacy in Art, editors Bob Kinnan, William E. Reaves, and Linda J. Reaves have assembled a team of collaborators to present a beautiful, informative account of the ranch and its place in the artistic heritage of the region. Pairing original paintings by artist Noe Perez with insightful essays from curators Bruce Shackelford and Ron Tyler, this book celebrates the many ways 'King Ranch culture' has enriched appreciation for the decorative, practical, and fine arts in Texas and the greater American West. Opening with a foreword by Jamey Clement, current chair of the board for King Ranch, Inc., and continuing with a brief introduction to the ranch's history by Bob Kinnan, King Ranch: A Legacy in Art will heighten appreciation of the natural beauty and artistic influence of this legendary place. BOB KINNAN previously managed the Santa Gertrudis Heritage Society and King Ranch Archives and has been King Ranch Historian since 2016. WILLIAM E. REAVES is the author of Texas Art and a Wildcatter's Dream, coauthor for Of Texas Rivers and Texas Art, and coeditor of Sense of Home: The Art of Richard Stout. LINDA J. REAVES is coeditor of Sense of Home: The Art of Richard Stout and coauthor of A Book Maker's Art: The Bond of Arts and Letters at Texas A&M University Press"--

In this tribute to a pioneer conservationist, Duane M. Leach celebrates the life of an exceptional ranch manager on a legendary Texas ranch, a visionary for wildlife and modern ranch management, and an extraordinarily dedicated and generous man. Caesar Kleberg went to work on the King Ranch in 1900. For almost thirty years he oversaw the operations of the sprawling Norias division, a vast acreage in South Texas where he came to appreciate the importance of rangeland not only for cattle but also for wildlife. Creating a wildlife management and conservation initiative far ahead of its time, Kleberg established strict hunting rules and a program of enlightened habitat restoration. Because of his efforts and foresight, by his death in 1946 there were more white-tailed deer, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, javelinas, and mourning dove on the King Ranch than in the rest of the state. Kleberg’s legacy lives on at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville, where a research program he helped found has gained recognition far beyond the pastures of Norias.

This absorbing biography, written by Kleberg's top assistant of many years, captures both the life of the man and the spirit of the kingdom he ruled, offering a rare, insider's view of life on a fabled Texas ranch.

"Centennial series of the Association of Former Students, Texas A & M University ; no. 49." The story about America's largest and most progressive cattle ranch.

King Ranch. The name is embroidered in the tapestry of Texas, rising from the sunbaked coastal plains in the infancy of the state itself. King Ranch is the inspiration of legends and speculation, tradition and history. Rawhide-tough through drought, Indian attacks, Civil War, and the Great Depression, among other trials, King Ranch is the star of Texas. Now the memoirs of Helen King Kleberg Alexander-Groves, the only child of Bob and Helen Kleberg, give a personal glimpse of life on the storied ranch of the Kings and the Klebergs. This intimate and compelling book chronicles not only the history of the ranch but also the life of Bob and Helen Kleberg, the first family of cattle ranching. From the Santa Gertrudis, the first cattle breed developed in America and the first breed recognized worldwide in over a century, to the Triple Crown–winning Thoroughbred Assault, Bob and Helen Kleberg changed the ranching industry. The memoirs of “Helenita” open the door to the romance of Southwest cattle ranching, as well as the grit, glory, and inner workings of King Ranch in Texas and its ranches around the world. With over 200 photographs, some by Toni Frissell and many by her close friend and fellow photographer Helen Kleberg herself, this lavishly illustrated portrait includes accounts of the Klebergs’ famous hospitality, extended not only to the celebrities who were entertained regularly but also to the Kineños, the loyal ranch hands first brought to King Ranch by Captain King. Hemingwayesque photos depict hunting adventures in the Texas brush country—for which the ranch is still famous. Bob and Helen Kleberg of King Ranch is a view from the center of the King Ranch legacy, perpetuated now for some 150 years. Bob and Helen Kleberg of King Ranch is a requisite addition to the library of any ranching, history, or Texana aficionado.

The fabled King Ranch of South Texas was renowned for its breed of horses, the King Ranch Quarter Horses. Here is the complete story of the ranch and its horses, how they were bred, and what they have achieved. We meet the Old Sorrel, the horse without a name who became the foundation stallion of the ranch Quarter Horses. The King Ranch produced winning show horses (Hired Hand, Anita Chica, Peppy) and race horses (Miss Princess, Nobody's Friend) and, above all, top-quality cow horses famed for their levelheadedness and ability to work in close partnership with their riders. Today they and their descendants are working cattle and winning competitions worldwide. For those who love Quarter Horses, and especially for those who own a Quarter Horse descended from the King Ranch and wish to know its history, this book will be a treasured volume.

On September 20, 1988, Lauro Cavazos became the first Hispanic in the history of the United States to be appointed to the Cabinet, when thenvice president George H. W. Bush swore him in as secretary of education. Cavazos, born on the legendary King Ranch in South Texas and educated in a two-room ranch schoolhouse, served until December 1990, after which he returned to his career in medical education and academic administration. In this engaging memoir, he recounts not only his years in Washington but also the childhood influences and life experiences that informed his policies in office. The ranch, he says, taught him how to live. These pages are full of glimpses into life on the famous ranch. Cavazos tells of Christmas parties, cattle work, and schooling. In his home, he was introduced to a natural bilingualism: he and his siblings were encouraged to speak only English with their father and only Spanish with their mother. Cavazos describes the high educational expectations his parents held. After service in World War II, Cavazos went to college and earned a doctorate from Iowa State University, launching him on a career in medical education. In 1980 he returned to his alma mater, Texas Tech University, as its tenth presidentthe first Hispanic and the first graduate of the university to serve in that post. As secretary of education, Cavazos stressed a commitment to reading. Indeed, he once told a group of educators that the curriculum for the first three years of school should be “reading, reading, and more reading.” His career is as interesting as it is inspiring, and Cavazos’ memoir joins the ranks of emerging success stories by Mexican Americans that will provide models for aspiring young people today.

Winner, San Antonio Conservation Society Citation, 2011 Texas's King Ranch has become legendary for a long list of innovations, the most enduring of which is the development of the first official cattle breed in the Americas, the Santa Gertrudis. Among those who played a crucial role in the breed's success were Librado and Alberto "Beto" Maldonado, master showmen of the King Ranch. A true "bull whisperer," Librado Maldonado developed a method for gentling and training cattle that allowed him and his son Beto to show the Santa Gertrudis to their best advantage at venues ranging from the famous King Ranch auctions to a Chicago television studio to the Dallas–Fort Worth airport. They even boarded a plane with the cattle en route to the International Fair in Casablanca, Morocco, where they introduced the Santa Gertrudis to the African continent. In The Master Showmen of King Ranch, Beto Maldonado recalls an eventful life of training and showing King Ranch Santa Gertrudis. He engagingly describes the process of teaching two-thousand-pound bulls to behave "like gentlemen" in the show ring, as well as the significant logistical challenges of transporting them to various high-profile venues around the world. His reminiscences, which span more than seventy years of King Ranch history, combine with quotes from other Maldonado family members, co-workers, and ranch owners to shed light on many aspects of ranch life, including day-to-day work routines, family relations, women's roles, annual celebrations, and the enduring ties between King Ranch owners and the vaquero families who worked on the ranch through several generations.