Research Guides: Digital Exhibit: Prison Rodeo Programs: Related Research

Books in SHSU collection

Convict Cowboys

Convict Cowboys is the first book on the nation's first prison rodeo, which ran from 1931 to 1986. At its apogee the Texas Prison Rodeo drew 30,000 spectators on October Sundays. Mitchel P. Roth portrays the Texas Prison Rodeo against a backdrop of Texas history, covering the history of rodeo, the prison system, and convict leasing, as well as important figures in Texas penology including Marshall Lee Simmons, O.B. Ellis, and George J. Beto, and the changing prison demimonde. Over the years the rodeo arena not only boasted death-defying entertainment that would make professional cowboys think twice, but featured a virtual who's who of American popular culture. Readers will be treated to stories about numerous American and Texas folk heroes, including Western film stars ranging from Tom Mix to John Wayne, and music legends such as Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Through extensive archival research Roth introduces readers to the convict cowboys in both the rodeo arena and behind prison walls, giving voice to a legion of previously forgotten inmate cowboys who risked life and limb for a few dollars and the applause of free-world crowds.

Huntsville Penitentiary

The state of Texas, home to one of the largest prison systems in the country, opened its first penitentiary in 1849. The Walls Unit in Huntsville was the genesis of a prison system that became the home of notorious convicts and the focus of much debate about incarceration and the death penalty in the United States. The Walls Unit housed gunslinger John Wesley Hardin, members of the Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker gang, and infamous drug cartel leader Fred Carrasco. Built using convict labor, the Walls Unit was heralded as a modern approach to incarceration in Texas. The prison dominated the landscape of the town of Huntsville when it was built and remains central to that community today.

Today@Sam Article

Book Relives Glory Days of Texas Prison Rodeo
In his latest book, “Convict Cowboys: The Untold Story of the Texas Prison Rodeo,” Mitchel P. Roth documents the annual event, which drew up to 100,000 people a month to Huntsville on October Sundays from 1931-1986.

Finding Aids in SHSU Collection

Criminal Justice Clipping Collection
The Texas Criminal Justice Newspaper Clipping Collection (1864-2011; four boxes) contains newspaper clippings concerning criminal justice in the state of Texas. The collection’s main focus is the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and includes many articles from the Huntsville Item and various other publications. The Texas Criminal Justice Newspaper Clipping Collection contains many Texas prison subjects including: death row, prison personnel, prison administration, facilities, escapes, convict labor, the prison rodeo, court cases, corruption, and female inmates.
Texas Prison Rodeo, Ca. 1960
The collection consists of materials, such as papers, publications, and photographs, owned or related to Dr. George J. Beto throughout his life and long career in criminal justice. The collection was compiled and donated to the SHSU Special Collections by George Beto's son, Dan Beto.