Robert, Joe.

The Branch Davidians were the offspring of a reform movement that originated within the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. In the early 1930s, a Bulgarian immigrant named Victor Houteff claimed to have had personal revelations from God and published his controversial views. His book The Shepherd's Rod (1932) served as a challenge to traditional Seventh-Day Adventist views of the apocalypse and church practice. Houteff's book inspired the Branch Davidian movement within the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The new Branch Davidians emphasized the need for the gift of prophecy among their leaders and believed that King David's earthly kingdom would be re-established on earth prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Upon his excommunication from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Houteff settled in Waco, Texas, and taught his followers until his death in 1955. This collection contains various pamphlets edited by Houteff as well as The Shepherd's Rod.

The Roden family, whose writings are well represented within this collection, are crucial to the developments leading up to the infamous Waco Siege of 1993. Benjamin Roden became the president of the fledgling church after Houteff passed away, calling for obedience to the feasts and fasts found throughout the biblical text. Benjamin's wife Lois claimed a vision of her own in 1977 when it was revealed to her that the Holy Spirit was a feminine entity. On October 22, 1978, Benjamin died. Lois assumed the mantle of leadership, much to the dismay of her son George.

The 1980s brought about division within the Branch Davidian sect. A newcomer named Vernon Howell joined the Branch in 1981. Three years later, a schism occurred within the Church, with Howell leading his own group of followers to a new site in Palestine, Texas. Lois Roden died in 1986, creating a power struggle between George Roden and Vernon Howell for control of the main Branch Davidian group. In 1987, Howell and his followers instigated a shootout with Roden. The subsequent trial against Howell was declared a mistrial. In 1989, George Roden was arrested for the murder of his roommate Wayman Dale Adair whom Roden claimed was a mercenary for Howell. For the rest of his life, George Roden was transferred to various mental institutions, and was not able to take the leadership position he wanted in the Branch Davidian Church. Vernon Howell changed his name to David Koresh in May 1990 and relocated his headquarters to Mount Carmel Center near Waco, Texas. Rumors concerning polygamy, abuse, and arms dealing within the Branch Davidian group aroused the suspicions of the federal government, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began to monitor the group.

In response to a stockpiling of illegal weapons, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives secured a search warrant for the investigation of the Branch Davidians' compound near Waco, Texas. From February 28th until April 19th, 1993, Branch Davidians under the leadership of David Koresh resisted federal agents' attempts to storm Mount Carmel Center. Joe Robert, the donor of this collection, served as an eyewitness to the siege, volunteering his labor for the Salvation Army while speaking with law enforcement officers and media personnel. The fifty-day siege ended when the compound erupted in flames, killing most of the Davidians.

Joe Robert was born in Waco, Texas, as the eldest son of a Baptist minister. For most of his life, he has resided in the central Texas region. Upon graduation from high school, Robert joined the Air Force. Following an on-the-job injury in 1991, Robert devoted his free time to studying the Branch Davidian sect that had flourished in the Waco area. While undergoing rehabilitation for his injury, Robert witnessed the Waco Siege of 1993.

Robert used his vast knowledge and personal contacts to begin working on a book manuscript designed to pinpoint the origins of the Branch Davidian cult. In an effort to achieve objectivity, Robert interviewed Davidians who had survived the conflagration as well as those who had rejected Koresh's leadership. His efforts culminated in the publishing of his book Beyond the Flames, written in 1997 under the alias of J.J. Robertson. In 1997 and 1999, Robert donated his vast collection of materials to The Texas Collection so that further research opportunities would be available to the public.

From the description of (Waco) Branch Davidians : Joe Robert collection, 1932-1997 1979-1995. (Baylor University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 742590174