This film captures a football game between the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs and the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns. (TCU players are wearing white jerseys.) The Southwest Conference match-up was played on November 18, 1961, at Texas Memorial Stadium (now known as Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium) in Austin. Although the top-ranked Longhorns make several trips to the red zone, they fail to score, ultimately losing to 24-point underdog TCU in a 0-6 upset. The shocking defeat spoiled not only the Texas’ hopes of winning its first national title but also the Heisman dreams of star players such as halfback Jimmy Saxton. Texas Head Coach Darrell K Royal, so upset about the loss, later compared the Horned Frogs to cockroaches. “It’s not what they eat and tote off,” he said, “it’s what they fall into and mess up that hurts.” TCU ended the season with a 3-5-2 record, while Texas finished 11-1 with a win over Mississippi in the 1962 Cotton Bowl Classic.

Following the 1960 presidential election, a special election was held to fill the United States Senate seat vacated by then Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. This telecast from May 1961 promotes the candidacy of Jim Wright, who was then serving in the United States House of Representatives from Texas’ 12th congressional district. The election drew a field of 71 potential candidates, with Republican John G. Tower narrowly defeating interim appointee and Democrat William Blakely in a runoff election. (As a result, Tower became the first Republican senator from Texas since Reconstruction.) Wright finished in third place.

Following the 1960 presidential election, a special election was held to fill the United States Senate seat vacated by then Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. This live telecast from March 1961 captures a rally for candidate Jim Wright at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth. (Wright was then serving in the United States House of Representatives from Texas’ 12th congressional district.) The election drew a field of 71 contenders, with Republican John G. Tower narrowly defeating interim appointee and Democrat William Blakely in a runoff election. (As a result, Tower became the first Republican senator from Texas since Reconstruction.) Wright finished in third place.