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Amon Carter: A Lone Star Life
Raised in a one-room log cabin in a small North Texas town, Amon G. Carter (1879–1955) rose to become the founder and publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram , a seat of power from which he relentlessly promoted the city of Fort Worth, amassed a fortune, and established himself as the quintessential Texan of his era. The first in-depth, scholarly biography of this outsize character and civic booster, Amon A Lone Star Life chronicles a remarkable life and places it in the larger context of state and nation.
Though best known for the Star-Telegram , Carter also established WBAP, Fort Worth’s first radio station, which in 1948 became the first television station in the Southwest. He was responsible for bringing the headquarters of what would become American Airlines to Fort Worth and for securing government funding for a local aircraft factory that evolved into Lockheed Martin. Historian Brian A. Cervantez has drawn on Texas Christian University’s rich collection of Carter papers to chart Carter’s quest to bring business and government projects to his adopted hometown, enterprises that led to friendships with prominent national figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Will Rogers, H. L. Mencken, and John Nance Garner.
After making millions of dollars in the oil business, Carter used his wealth to fund schools, hospitals, museums, churches, parks, and camps. His numerous philanthropic efforts culminated in the Amon G. Carter Foundation, which still supports cultural and educational endeavors throughout Texas. He was a driving force behind the establishment of Texas Tech University, a major contributor to Texas Christian University, a key figure in the creation of Big Bend National Park, and an art lover whose collection of the works of Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell served as the foundation of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Amon A Lone Star Life testifies to the singular character and career of one man whose influence can be seen throughout the cultural and civic life of Fort Worth, Texas, and the American Southwest to this day.
Though best known for the Star-Telegram , Carter also established WBAP, Fort Worth’s first radio station, which in 1948 became the first television station in the Southwest. He was responsible for bringing the headquarters of what would become American Airlines to Fort Worth and for securing government funding for a local aircraft factory that evolved into Lockheed Martin. Historian Brian A. Cervantez has drawn on Texas Christian University’s rich collection of Carter papers to chart Carter’s quest to bring business and government projects to his adopted hometown, enterprises that led to friendships with prominent national figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Will Rogers, H. L. Mencken, and John Nance Garner.
After making millions of dollars in the oil business, Carter used his wealth to fund schools, hospitals, museums, churches, parks, and camps. His numerous philanthropic efforts culminated in the Amon G. Carter Foundation, which still supports cultural and educational endeavors throughout Texas. He was a driving force behind the establishment of Texas Tech University, a major contributor to Texas Christian University, a key figure in the creation of Big Bend National Park, and an art lover whose collection of the works of Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell served as the foundation of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Amon A Lone Star Life testifies to the singular character and career of one man whose influence can be seen throughout the cultural and civic life of Fort Worth, Texas, and the American Southwest to this day.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
264 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 23, 2019
Reviewed by Si Dunn for Lone Star Literary Life. Lone Star Literary Life
Amon G. Carter’s accomplishments are almost too numerous to list, and, sixty-four years after his death in 1955, at age seventy-six, his influence continues to be felt in Fort Worth, across Texas, and beyond.
“Mr. Fort Worth,” as Carter sometimes is labeled, made many millions in the oil business and as owner of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He spent much of that wealth on philanthropy, becoming “one of the most influential boosters of his time,” writes Fort Worth author Brian Cervantez in this solidly researched, well-written biography of the man who gave Cowtown its enduring “Where the West Begins” moniker.
Fort Worth’s Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Will Rogers Complex, and the Amon G. Carter Foundation are some of his most visible legacies. Carter also established Fort Worth’s first radio station and the Southwest’s first television station. He had important roles in the births of American Airlines and Lockheed Martin and in the growth of Texas Christian University. His philanthropy, meanwhile, also helped fund churches, parks, camps, and other facilities and activities.
“I have come to realize,” Carter stated near the end of his life, “that they who acquire wealth are more or less stewards in the application of that wealth to others of the human family who are less fortunate than themselves.”
He did not limit himself to boosting Fort Worth, although “many industries and institutions ... came to Fort Worth as a result of his efforts,” notes Cervantez, an associate professor of history at Tarrant County College, Northwest Campus. Indeed, Carter figured prominently in the creation and growth of Lubbock’s Texas Tech University, as well as Big Bend National Park.
He played influential roles in Texas and national politics, too, backing several campaigns and serving as a powerful delegate at political conventions. He also indulged in “celebrity culture,” becoming a celebrity himself who hosted famous guests and hung out with friends such as Will Rogers and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eventually, Carter possessed “a vast national network of business and political contacts that he could exploit whenever he deemed necessary,” Cervantez points out.
Amon Carter: A Lone Star Life offers readers a balanced account of Carter’s life and achievements while also dealing with some of his struggles and failures. A child of rural poverty, Carter grew up addicted to work and his ambitions, and this contributed to three troubled marriages. “Sacrificing domestic bliss for public success would be all too common throughout his life,” the author notes.
“Much can and should be made of Amon Carter’s contributions to Texas’s transition into urban modernity, a transition mirrored by the details of his own life,” Cervantez contends. The famed Fort Worth philanthropist and booster “helped lead his adopted hometown from a glorified market town to a major hub of business and commerce that truly served as a gateway city to West Texas.”
Amon G. Carter’s accomplishments are almost too numerous to list, and, sixty-four years after his death in 1955, at age seventy-six, his influence continues to be felt in Fort Worth, across Texas, and beyond.
“Mr. Fort Worth,” as Carter sometimes is labeled, made many millions in the oil business and as owner of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He spent much of that wealth on philanthropy, becoming “one of the most influential boosters of his time,” writes Fort Worth author Brian Cervantez in this solidly researched, well-written biography of the man who gave Cowtown its enduring “Where the West Begins” moniker.
Fort Worth’s Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Will Rogers Complex, and the Amon G. Carter Foundation are some of his most visible legacies. Carter also established Fort Worth’s first radio station and the Southwest’s first television station. He had important roles in the births of American Airlines and Lockheed Martin and in the growth of Texas Christian University. His philanthropy, meanwhile, also helped fund churches, parks, camps, and other facilities and activities.
“I have come to realize,” Carter stated near the end of his life, “that they who acquire wealth are more or less stewards in the application of that wealth to others of the human family who are less fortunate than themselves.”
He did not limit himself to boosting Fort Worth, although “many industries and institutions ... came to Fort Worth as a result of his efforts,” notes Cervantez, an associate professor of history at Tarrant County College, Northwest Campus. Indeed, Carter figured prominently in the creation and growth of Lubbock’s Texas Tech University, as well as Big Bend National Park.
He played influential roles in Texas and national politics, too, backing several campaigns and serving as a powerful delegate at political conventions. He also indulged in “celebrity culture,” becoming a celebrity himself who hosted famous guests and hung out with friends such as Will Rogers and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eventually, Carter possessed “a vast national network of business and political contacts that he could exploit whenever he deemed necessary,” Cervantez points out.
Amon Carter: A Lone Star Life offers readers a balanced account of Carter’s life and achievements while also dealing with some of his struggles and failures. A child of rural poverty, Carter grew up addicted to work and his ambitions, and this contributed to three troubled marriages. “Sacrificing domestic bliss for public success would be all too common throughout his life,” the author notes.
“Much can and should be made of Amon Carter’s contributions to Texas’s transition into urban modernity, a transition mirrored by the details of his own life,” Cervantez contends. The famed Fort Worth philanthropist and booster “helped lead his adopted hometown from a glorified market town to a major hub of business and commerce that truly served as a gateway city to West Texas.”
June 23, 2019
Texas-sized personality - Mr. Fort Worth. Power as a newspaper mogul when then gets lucky in oil! Useful lens on the DFW area and the emergence of Ft Worth in particular. Fairly pedestrian read on a non-pedestrian figure.
August 12, 2022
Read as source material for my paper. It was pretty good but mostly focused on his business life. I wanted more information on his actions in the oil industry and his friendships there. Especially with Sid Richardson.
July 27, 2025
Great book on the life of Amon Carter and the impact he had on Fort Worth!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews