Frances E. "Ab" Abernethy

Frances E. "Ab" Abernethy (1925-2015) moved to Nacogdoches his senior year in high school, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and traveled the country before earning his Ph.D.  After accepting a position at Stephen F. Austin State Teacher's College, Abernethy married the coach's daughter, Hazel Shelton.  Ab was a fixture in the local community as he carved out LaNana Creek Trail, played in a string band, and taught folklore at SFA for 32 years.  A full biography is below the audio clips.

---

We have included on this page our full listing of audio recordings for Ab Abernethy.  Dr. Abernethy was the subject of several oral history projects (some more formal than others) and we have gone through hours of recordings to select these clips.  Unfortunately the sound quality was not always the best and so there were many more great stories that we could not include.  We hope that you will enjoy this extended listening opportunity.  For more information, please contact Friends of Historic Nacogdoches or the East Texas Research Center at Stephen F. Austin State University which is the permanent repository for many of these recordings.

Abernethy Audio Clips

Abernethy Full Biography

          Francis Edward Abernethy was Distinguished Regents Professor Emeritus of English at Stephen F. Austin State University, the Executive Secretary-Editor Emeritus of the Texas Folklore Society from 1971 to 2004, the Curator of Exhibits for the East Texas Historical Association, and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters. Dr. Abernethy attended Stephen F. Austin State University and Louisiana State University, where he received his doctorate in Renaissance Literature. He has taught at Woodville High School, Louisiana State University, Lamar State University, and Stephen F. Austin State University. He was the editor of Tales From the Big Thicket, Built in Texas, Legendary Ladies of Texas, Folk Art in Texas, Texas Toys and Games, Juneteenth Texas, and fifteen other volumes for the Texas Folklore Society. He published poetry, short stories, a folk music book entitled Singin' Texas, a book of legends entitled Legends of Texas' Heroic Age, and a history of the Texas Folklore Society in three volumes. He lectured widely, both popularly and academically. He was a World War II veteran, he explored the caves of Mexico and the Yucatan for fifteen years, he built the LaNana Creek Trail and the Banita Creek Trail, he was a world traveler and a scuba diver, he soloed in a Cessna, he played the bass fiddle in the East Texas String Ensemble of Nacogdoches and was the vocalist in a jazz combo called the Golden Guys.
          Personally, he was born in Altus, Oklahoma, December 3, 1925, grew up in the Panhandle and East Texas, was married to Hazel Shelton Abernethy since 1948, and has five children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly.