Welcome: Table of Contents

Welcome to the autobiography of Albert K. Sparks, b. July 31, 1923 in Wichita Falls, Texas.

 I (Al's daughter, Elisa) will be posting the various sections of the autobiography as blog entries as dad and I complete editing them. (Since Al's death in 2012, I have continued to add entries from time to time, illustrating them with any photos I could find.)

 The autobiography extends from dad's early childhood in north Texas, through high school, college at Texas A&M, service in the Pacific in World War II, and post-war education and career through 1969-- the year Al and his wife Pat, my mother,  moved from Seattle to Galveston. Of course I'm encouraging him to continue the story.

The Autobiography is arranged in chronological order under Blog Archive, and I have made links in the Table of Contents. If there is no link, it means I have not finished editing and posting that section.

Al Sparks: Autobiography

Table of Contents

Chapter One 

• In the Beginnning
• Living on 26^th St.
• Cowboys and Indians
• First Picture Show
• Uncle Scott and the Drunk Pigs
• Run Over by a Car
• First Grade
• Hunting and Fishing
• The Ft. Worth Sparks
• The Real Family (Holidays)
• The Depression Years
• Reading
• Amarillo

Chapter Two: Junior High School

• The First Bicycle
• Boy Scouts of America                          
• What It Wuz Wuz Football                                                                                  

Chapter Three: High School

• High School
• High School Football
• High School Romance and Routines
• Edgar Allen Poe
• My High School Football Career

Chapter Four: Texas A&M and WWII

• Texas A&M 1941
• TSCW
• World War II: Induction
• The Pacific War
• The Repple Depple
• Rodent Wars
• Promotion to Street Cleaner
• Farming in New Caladonia
  
• Transfer to 31^st Station Hospital
• Parasitology
• Finding the War
• Okinowa
• Korea: Inchon
  
• New Friends
• More Parasitology
• Poker
• Korean Culture
• Going Home

Chapter Five: Texas A&M Redux  (111PP.)

• The Transition
• The Funeral Business
• Fishing and Vet Work                                     
• Texas A&M (1946-1949)                                           
• Next Step into Academe: MS in Bass    
  
• Family and Friends 1946-1948                    
• Dog Days                                                    
  
• First Car                                                       
  
• The Georges                                                    
• My Father’s Death                                       
• Sam Houston State Teacher’s College                      
• Teaching and Friends at Sam Houston     
  
• The Mexican Field School           
  
• A & M 1951-57                                                          
• John G. Mackin (Founder’s Lecture)           
• Project Nine and DERMO                           
• PhD. Work                                                      
• Grand Isle Summer (1952)                            
• Acting Assistant Professor (1952)                 
• The First House (1952)                                  
• Tac Officer                                                      
• Officiating                                                       
   Chapter Six: Louisiana

• Cajun Days1
• Cajun Days 2
• Cajun Days 3

Chapter Seven: Seattle  

• UW Early Years
• First Hunt                                                       
• Research Start Up                                                                                       
• Meeting Shellfish Biologists                         
• Home Purchase                                             
• Handball                                                        
• Project Chariot                                                
• Second Year                                                    
• UW 2
• Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning                          
• Oyster Potential of Hawaii Survey                
•  ICES
•  Supporting Cast
•  Closed Ecological Systems (Space Biology)
• 5^th Annual Shellfish Mortality Workshop
• Trevor Kinkaid
• Oyster Pathology
• Extracurricular Activities
• Back to Academia
• Fisheries Poker Game

Chapter Eight: Kenya

• Elisa's Kenya Memories
  

Chapter Nine: Seattle II 

• UW Post-Sabbatical
• Grad Students
• Tumor Symposium  (1967)
• SIP
• An Untimely Death
• SIP Meeting
• (History of SIP)
• The Never-Ending Hearts Game
• First Book
• Pat’s House (1967)
• Back to Work (1968)
• Second Transition (1969)

• Zizi in Reno