Mody C. (Mody Coggin) Boatright

Born in 1896, he became an influential teacher of English at The University of Texas, where he served from 1926 to 1969. Archival records at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History describe him as a folklorist, professor, department chairman, and secretary-editor of the Texas Folklore Society, with a career that joined academic study to a deep interest in regional storytelling.

His work focused on the folklore and history of Texas and the Southwest. Surviving records and book listings connect him with studies of oil-field lore, western humor, tall tales, and border ballads, showing a writer interested in the language and traditions of working people as much as in literary scholarship.

He died in 1970, but his papers, publications, and collected research still offer a vivid picture of the culture he spent decades documenting. For listeners drawn to regional history, cowboy yarns, and the spoken traditions of Texas, his work remains both lively and valuable.