Darrell Royal Auction Will Raise Money for Alzheimer’s Research

Legendary college football coach Darrell Royal’s family has consigned dozens of items from his life and career to Austin Auction Gallery in Texas. The company will offer memorabilia, which include championship rings, vintage signed programs and other autographs, to the public on November 11 and online through LiveAuctioneers.com.

“The Coach,” as he is known by many, won more games at the University of Texas than any coach in history, serving from 1957-1976. Quick with a quip during his career, the 88-year-old suffers from dementia. In early 2012, Royal’s wife Edith created the Darrell K Royal Research Fund for Alzheimer's Disease. A portion of the proceeds from both collections will be donated to the DKR Alzheimer’s Research Fund. The coach and his wife have been married for more than 65 years.

Edith Royal said that she and her husband appreciate all of the awards and mementoes being offered at auction, but have found a need to downsize. “I’m hoping that Darrell’s fans will be the ones that purchase the UT things and they will treasure them like we have," said Edith Royal. "I love the memories – it was fun to rediscover them.”

In addition to the sports memorabilia, also included are three rare Apollo moon flags, originally presented to Mr. and Mrs. Royal as gifts by the lunar astronauts. The highlight is a Texas flag carried to the moon on the 1972 Apollo 16 moon mission, signed by astronauts Charles Duke, John Young, and Ken Mattingly. Included is a photo of Charles Duke with arm outstretched and note to Darrell Royal, “I could not quite come up with a hook um horns sign.”

The flags were loaned to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, by the Royals, as part of the exhibit To the Moon: The American Space Program in the 1960s, which ran until the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 2009. As for this particular flag, Edith Royal said, “Charlie got it out and rubbed it on the moon’s surface. It is framed, so if it has any dust on it, it’s moon dust!”

The live auction will be held at 8414 Anderson Mill Road, Austin, TX, 78729. Absentee and telephone bidding are available with a 15% buyer’s premium. Live online and absentee bidding is also available via Live Auctioneers, http://www.liveauctioneers.com with an 18% buyer’s premium.