Leon Metz

Leon Claire Metz (born November 6, 1930) is an American cultural historian, author, television documentary personality, and lecturer on the American Old West period. Metz has presented hundreds of his programs to groups all over the U.S. particularly in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona. Metz has also made numerous TV appearances television documentaries most notably, A&E's The Real West series, which is also shown on The History Channel. Metz was born in Parkersburg, West Virginia,[1] and graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1948. He then joined the US Air Force during the Korean War. He was primarily stationed at Biggs Field, El Paso where he was a propeller mechanic, attaining the rank of staff sergeant, which he would later portray in his book Fort Bliss: An Illustrated History. C.L. "Doc" Sonnichsen a noted historian himself, would serve as an early mentor for the young Metz. Metz has penned 17 books, most notably John Selman: Texas Gunfighter and a biography of Old West lawman Pat Garrett. Metz also hosts a weekly column in the El Paso Times. Metz also hosts a radio show, The Leon Metz Show on KTSM, which relates to Southwestern U.S. history. He can also be seen often on BBC television specials on the west. On June 16, 2012 Metz contributed his voice to an alternative hip hop album entitled Greetings from El Paso, a concept album about El Paso, Texas by local rapper Zyme One. “We are always on the lookout for little-known rarities,” wrote Leon C. Metz in the 1968 summer issue of U.T. El Paso’s NOVA magazine. Mr. Metz, a native of West Virginia, became the University of Texas at El Paso’s first archivist in 1967.

Area: Central / University

Source: El Paso County Historical Society

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History