Henrietta King: Rancher and Philanthropist

Few women have run the largest ranch in the United States, raised a family, built a city and a railroad, and survived raids by hostile soldiers and Mexican bandits. Henrietta King did all that. The ranch is the famous King Ranch in South Texas. Today the King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. Henrietta's descendants still manage and control the ranch. Henrietta King, raised to be ladylike, lived an adventurous life and helped build an empire. her legend lives on through the King Ranch and her descendants. As a philanthropist, King donated land to establish the city of Kingsville, Texas, and gave money to build churches, schools, and hospitals in that community.

Download the Free Activity Book/Teacher's Guide at http://www.tfhcc.com/press/younger.html

State House Press is launching a new series of Texasbiographies aimed at students in the fourth grade. The series focuses on important, but perhaps lesser known, Texans and their contributions to Texas history. The first two books in the series look at Henrietta King, matriarch of the King Ranch family, and Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas. They are among the personalities whose names appear on study guides for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test taken by all children in the fourth grade. Written by noted Texas children's author Judy Alter, the biographies are concisely presented in language that can be understood by fourth graders but also enjoyed by older readers. West Texas artist Patrick Messersmith illustrates the books with compelling black and white sketches. The books are designed to be inviting and approachable to readers of any age, with extra spacing between lines to enhance readability and creative use of informative sidebar material. The Stars of Texas Series is a natural fit for State House Press, an imprint of the McWhiney Foundation, whose mission is to promote and encourage the study of history.

Author Biography: JUDY ALTER is the longtime director of TCU Press and author of a number of books for children and adults. She was selected as the 2005 recipient of the Western Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award.

Round- up Magazine

". . . the kids will love the book, not realizing that it is 'good for them."

JUDY ALTER is the author of fiction and nonfiction for both adults and young readers, as well as an enthusiastic cook, blogger, and reader of mysteries. She has won awards from the Texas Institute of Letters, Western Writers of America, the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame, and an Owen Wister Award for lifetime achievement from WWA. Judy was named an Outstanding Woman of Fort Worth in 1989 by the Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women (for Arts) and named one of the one hundred women, living and dead, who have left their mark on Texas by the Dallas Morning News.

Judy is currently director of Texas Christian University Press in Fort Worth, a position she has held for twenty-two years. A single parent of four and grandmother of seven, she lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her Australian shepherd, Scooby, and her fluffy gray cat, wywy. Judy entertains frequently, always experimenting and looking for new dishes. Keep up with her at judys-stew.blogspot.com.

JUDY ALTER writes fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages. In 2005, she received the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Western Writers of America. She is director of TCU Press and lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

PATRICK MESSERSMITH is a noted artist who resides in Dallas, Texas. He states, "as a native Texan, it's great to be a part of teaching the legacy of our state's heroes (who might not receive as much attention) to the younger generations."