| C. L. Sonnichsen | |
| Birth Name: | Charles Leland Sonnichsen |
| Birth Date: | 20 September 1901 |
| Birth Place: | Fonda, Iowa |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Professor |
| Alma Mater: | Harvard University |
| Workplaces: | University of Texas at El Paso |
| Main Interests: | Southwestern history and folklore |
| Notable Works: | The Mescalero Apaches, Alias Billy the Kid and Tucson: The Life and Times of an American City |
Charles Leland Sonnichsen (September 20, 1901 – June 29, 1991) was a Benedict Professor of English at the University of Texas, El Paso. In addition to being a noted Southwestern historian and folklorist, he was a prolific author and screenwriter. Among his many books are The Mescalero Apaches, Alias Billy the Kid and Tucson: The Life and Times of an American City. Sonichsen was the 23rd president of the Western Historical Association.
Born in Fonda, Iowa, Sonnichsen's family later moved to Minnesota where he attended public school in Wadena, Minnesota. He received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1924 and then went on to graduate from Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1931.[1]
Sonnichsen first held teaching positions St. James School in Faribault, Minnesota, and Carnegie Institute of Technology before relocating to El Paso, Texas and taking a role as associate professor of English at the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy (later The University of Texas at El Paso). He rose through teaching and administrative ranks to professor, chairman of the English Department (a post he held for 27 years), dean of the graduate school, and H. Y. Benedict Professor of English. He retired from the university in 1972 after a 41-year career there and moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he was editor of the Journal of Arizona History from 1972 to 1977 and continued to write and edit books.[2]
Sonnichsen authored 34 books, including:[3] [4] [5] [6]
In the last years of his life, he continued to publish and edited several more books:
Sonnichsen received the Spur Award for Best Short Subject, the Spur Award for Best Nonfiction, and the Spur Award for Best Short Fiction.
C. L. Sonnichsen's granddaughter is, a photographer based in New York and São Paulo.[7] [8]