The University of Arizona Press

THE BIRDS OF ARIZONA, released early in December, 1964, highlighted the beginning of the sixth year of the University of Arizona Press, now a member of the Association of University Presses, and a major publisher in the Southwestern United States. In 1959, the University's 75th anniversary year, President Richard A. Harvill gained permission from the Board of Regents to establish a university press for dissemination of the scholarly works of faculty members.

Like other such academic publishers, the five-year-old Press is indeed an effective showcase for the researchers and writers on the faculty. But more than that, it is a primary means of relating the activities within the uni versity to what goes on outside not only in Arizona, but across the country and around the world. Although many of its publications are technical of necessity, such a Press does not publish esoteric books for non-existent readers. The sale of works on many subjects, not only to college libraries and teachers, but to readers throughout the U. S. and abroad, is making it increasingly clear that scholarly heights today are anything but the ivory towers of legend. They may be eminences of intellectual farsightedness, but they are equally busy communication centers engaged in supplying information and inspiration to people who read books.

Since its birth in the fall of 1959, the Press's yearly output has swelled from 7 to about 30 books. Its list of subjects not only has total alphabetical spread from anthropology to zoolo gy, but ranges through astronomy, botany, paleontology, geology, literary and art criticism, social engineering, political science, Oriental history, administration of state water problems, and reference data for tree-ring dating.

The physical format of Press publications has varied too, from photographic maps of the moon in atlases as large as small tables, to pocket-size essays in book form, to vinyl packaging of the state's geologic and mineralogic maps, even to excerpts from American literature on an LP record. In between these distinctive forms, of course, are paperbacks and solidly bound books of permanent character, loaded with information that often cannot be found anywhere else, and often beautified with photography or illustration by such artists of the Southwest as Mac Schweitzer or Ted de Grazia.

As one would expect, the authors publishing with the Press have a similarly wide range: cultural anthropologists of renown such as Edward H. Spicer, authorities on space such as Gerard Kuiper, poets of the little magazines, engineers absorbed in civil defense planning, palynological lexicographers of intensive European training, faculty members involved in working politics, like Conrad Joyner (member of Governor Fannin's advisory board), and the far-flung (from Boston to Singapore) Orientalists who are authors of the Monographs and Papers of the Association for Asian Studies, now being published for that organization by the University of Arizona Press.

The persistence of variety demonstrates the breadth of the University's program, and reminds one of the remark by the philosopher Karl Jaspers that a university is in truth, “a universe.” Incidentally this distinguished modern philosopher has permitted his monumental work on Nietzsche, published in German 30 years ago, to be translated into English for the first time by two U. of A. scholars, F. C. Wallraff, head of the philosophy department, and F. J. Schmitz, head of the German department. The book will be published early in February.

Contrary to an impression that many people have, the University of Arizona Press is not a printing plant and this, in fact, is the case with the majority of university publishers. With the exception of a few minor administrative items or multilithed pamphlets, none of the printing is done on the campus. A large proportion is done in the state of Arizona, however, by printers both in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, and most of the books are bound in Phoenix. A certain percentage of the work is done outside the state, especially where highly techni cal or specialized material makes special services or equipment necessary, or where state prices are relatively high. All of the Press's contracts for typesetting, printing, and binding are awarded on the regular bid system used by the university in other kinds of purchasing.

Director of the Press since June, 1960, has been Dr. Jack L. Cross, a former Texan whose University of Chicago studies in history, research analysis for CIA, travels abroad in World War II, and independent publishing of a series of academic reprints have supplied him with the broad geographical and topical perspectives that are important to good university publishing. Dr. Cross and his staff of four editorial and production persons have been an increasingly cohesive working team since the first year of the Press's existence. This group is responsible also for such administrative publications as the university biennial catalogue and for a large portion of other intra-institutional printing and publishing.

The Press from September, 1959, until December, 1964 was housed in the Marshall Building at North Palm and East Second Street, just north of the campus wall. With the letting of bids for the new Business and Public Administration building, the University had to pull down the Press's home. Publishing and editorial offices have been moved to 903 East Third Street, upstairs in the office building of the Marshall Foundation, for an interval during which construction of other facilities will take place on the campus proper. The inventory of Press books, now numbering about 80 titles, is housed and distributed from the shipping offices of the Press in the mailing bureau on the west side of the University stadium.

While expanding its communication beyond the campus and the state, the Press has been pleased to have its books reviewed in newspapers in almost every state, in the London Times and in periodicals on the continent and in the Orient. In the U. S., Press books have often been reviewed in such periodicals as Science, the Saturday Review, and Book Week. Eight separate books from the Press since 1959 have been singled out for awards from such distinguished competitions as the Rounce and Coffin (Western Books), Southern Books, the American Library Association, and the Association of State and Local History.

MAGIC

The sky, gray of rolling nimbus Building into a tall thunderhead, thus Scattering spring's first rain for us Over desert, to still its dust.

A silver lining soon will show Bringing into sight, a double rainbow These good deeds seem very slow As from dust, green grasses grow.

-Ralph A. Fisher, Sr.

ARIZONA SHOWER

Down from the hills, snapping castanets, The raindrops dance while the lightning frets; Over the rooftops and through the streets, Running a race in shivering sheets; Teasing the dust of a vacant lot -Gone like the dream of a passing thought.

-C. H. Engelmohr

CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE

The sun through countless centuries Remembers very well Lost mountains and long vanished seas, But does not care to tell.

The moon recalls from watches lone Time's immemorial day, And men to history unknown, But does not care to say.

Stars from their watches could disclose Strange things long lost to view, Past anything the wisest knows, But then they never do.

-Clarence Edwin Flynn

NIGHT OF NEW MOON

A sickle moon is in the sky To cut the stars that grow too tall, Just watch the star-field there on high And now and then you'll see one fall.

-George L. Kress

GRASSHOPPERS

The garden is a banquet hall; by the flagstone walks Grasshoppers come to feast on the flower leaves and stalks; They dress for dinner in their formal green suits, And leave when it's over in seven league boots.

-Olivia Murray Nichols

JET PLANE

Dwarfed in the high Transparent sky The jet in flight Is the wild wind's kite, Its vapor trail The kite's long tail.

-Vesta Nickerson

DESERT CEMETERY

Here valor and cowardice lie together; old hates Are buried deep. The sharp wind-driven sand, Lashing at the markers, obliterates All but the names they make their silent stand!

-Maude Rubin

SUNRISE

While shadows stretch long arms And sleepily yawn, Day puts on her apron Of dew-washed red dawn.

-Thelma Ireland

DECEMBER ISSUE:

The rare-occurrence pictures of James Tallon's rewarding excursion to the Grand Canyon in the December issue of your magazine is such a striking coincidence to the material I am working with that I am compelled to tell you of it.

Try as I might, I could not imagine the fog looking as it does in the Tallon photographs, but I do have a record of the panic and fear which it induced in three people. It occurred on a trip from the Alamo Ranch at the foot of the Mesa Verde to the Hopi Villages and on to the Grand Canyon. The return trip was in snow much of the way and, somewhere west and perhaps north of Monument Valley, the fog developed and lasted for three days. During that time, quicksand added an additional problem.

The three members of the party were one sixteen-year-old boy name Roe (or Roy) Ethridge, Alfred Wetherill of the Alamo Ranch on the Mancos and Gustaf Nordenskiold, who wished to compare the grandeur of the American continent with its Grand Canyon to the splendor of Sweden. They also took pictures. But their camera was the quite new "instantaneous camera" called Kodac and the pictures are still very good, even though they are black and white. The time of the trip, however, is a revelation. It was during November and December, 1891 and there was not even a trail from Tanner's house at Tuba to Bluff City on the San Juan. It was this lack of an AAA map which led to getting lost and nearly starving before Al Wetherill sighted Mule Ears on the Comb Ridge. He had been that far before from the other direction.

Maurine S. Fletcher Tulsa, Oklahoma

Your December, 1964, issue of ARIZONA HIGHWAYS is without question photographically one of the most magnificent issues of any magazine I have ever seen in many years of seeing a lot of magazines in a lot of countries.

As one who was born in Utah and who spent a lot of his childhood in southern Utah and Arizona, I have only one complaint against Carl Sauer, who was kind enough to send me the December issue: I wish I had never left!

My compliments to you, your photog raphers and everyone else who had a hand in this fine publication.

John Western Director of Public Relations Pfizer International Inc. New York, N. Y.

PS My secretary calls my attention to the De Grazia painting on the inside rear cover (as well as the front cover). They are superb.

PPS I've just showed the issue to Mr. Fenton, our president, and his wife. They were so overwhelmed that I felt I had to give them my copy.

Yours Sincerely

An enthusiastic reader of the ARIZONA HIGHWAYS for many, many years, I have just enjoyed the December, 1964, issue. Having lived with my family for a number of years here in West Germany, I always pass along (loan only) our copies to German friends, who enjoy the magazine immensely. This year I am giving copies to several old friends.

As a working photographer, I especially enjoy the superb photos and equally fantastic reproduction.

Now, this is in no way a criticism, but how about correcting your spelling of "Frankfurt" from "Frankfort," in the credits under "Printed In Arizona, U.S.A.," on the title page, where you say "Title type is Rhapsodie, by Ludwig and Mayer Type Foundry, Frankfort, W. Germany." Perhaps you are confusing Frankfurt am Main, here in West Germany, with the much smaller Frankfort am Oder in Soviet-occupied East Germany. Just thought you'd like to know.

Clyde McLean ΑΡΟ 245 New York, N.Y.

For many years I have been receiving ARIZONA HIGHWAYS as a Christmas gift from one of my former parishioners who now resides in your state.

The beauty of the periodical and the fascinating articles are certainly a credit both to your state and to your editorship.

However the main purpose of my writing is to say that I have saved the December issues for many years because of the beautiful Christmas essays which are included. To read them is a refreshing experience in the light of what generally happens to Christmas in our world. I have quoted parts frequently in Christmas sermons and I simply wanted you to know that there is someone who has a deep appreciation for your expressions of an abiding faith and hope.

The Rev. Lauri J. Anderson, D.D. Queens Village, New York

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD:

I was very impressed with your feature THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD in your January issue. I am sure Mr. Stevens, the producer and director, found the perfect locale for the exterior scenes for this motion picture classic when he chose the big, beautiful and so spectacular lands around Page, Arizona.

This is one motion picture I am looking forward to. Do you have any idea when it will be released?

C. Y. Yonkers Chicago, Illinois

OPPOSITE PAGE

"SAN XAVIER - SHRINE OF ALL AGES" BY RAY MANLEY. This beautiful mission, sometimes called the "White Dove of the Desert," is one of the outstanding examples of Spanish colonial architecture found in the Spanish Southwest. The mission was named "San Xavier Del Bac" by Father Kino in honor of his patron saint, San Francisco Xavier, "the Apostle of the Indians." "Bac" is from an Indian word meaning "well." In his diary April 28, 1700, Father Kino wrote: "... we began the foundations of a very large and spacious church and house." The original mission, however, was destroyed in the Pima Revolt of 1751. The present mission was built by the Franciscans between 1783-1797. The second tower of the church proper was purposely left unfinished by the Franciscans to avoid paying taxes to the king of Spain who exacted heavy taxes from the Order on all of their "finished" religious edifices. San Xavier ("san aw-veer") still is used as a house of worship by the Indians of the surrounding areas.