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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2001
Contact: Patricia Fraga, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442

Austin History Center Opens Charles Whitman Records to the Public

Austin, TX —December 18, 2001—Today the local history archive, The Austin History Center of the Austin Public Library opens the Charles Whitman records to the public for viewing and research. Whitman, on August 1, 1966 climbed to the 27th floor of the University of Texas Tower and proceeded to gun down people on the campus—killing 14 and wounding 31.

The Austin History Center took possession of the records from the Austin Police Department in August of 2000. Rebecca Rich-Wulfmeyer, the manuscripts curator has been working on the records archiving and preserving the documents for the Austin History Center. "These records are significant and timely for the History Center for several reasons," says Rich-Wulfmeyer. "It was a pivotal moment in local and national history. Interest continues because of the effect the event had on society as a whole and the individual victims. One of the 31 wounded, David H. Gunby, a long suffering Whitman shooting victim, died of his injuries in Ft. Worth last month. The ruling of his death as a homicide raised some debate. Also, the fame of this type of collection brings an awareness of the value of an archive such as the Austin History Center to the public. At a time when presidential records are becoming less accessible through Executive Order 13223, it is encouraging to see other records being available."

The records can be viewed by calling the Austin History Center at (512) 974-7480. Here are some records researchers will see in the collection:

• Austin Police Department offense reports
• Letters written by Charles J. Whitman confessing to the murders of his mother and wife
• Diaries and date books of Charles J. Whitman
• Correspondence and reports from other agencies that investigated the crimes

List of all materials at the Austin History Center relating to this case.

About the Austin History Center
As the local history collection of the Austin, Texas, Public Library, the mission of the Austin History Center is to provide the public with information about the history, current events, and activities of the City of Austin and Travis County. To do this, we:

• Collect and preserve information about local governments, businesses, residents, institutions, and neighborhoods
• Provide reference staff and finding aids to assist researchers
• Present our holdings to the public through exhibits and programs

Today, in order to meet the growing demands of its collections and its community, the Austin History Center has expanded to a staff of 19 people under the leadership of Archivist Biruta Celmins Kearl. With new technologies revealing new ways of managing collections and approaching public service and outreach, the Austin History Center is continuing to make sure that our community's "collective memory" keeps growing stronger! The Austin History Center is a division of the Austin Public Library. For more information about the Austin History Center please visit us on the Web at www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc or call at (512) 974-7480.

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