Early life and high school career.

Iguodala was born in Springfield, Illinois. He is the son of Linda Shanklin. His older brother, Frank, played for Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois, and Dayton. His mother is African American, while his father is Nigerian. Growing up, Iguodala rooted for the Chicago Bulls, and he cites Michael Jordan as the player he looked up to.  Iguodala attended high school at Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois, a school that produced other notable athletes, including baseball Hall of Famer Robin Roberts and basketball guard Kevin Gamble. At Lanphier he did well academically and athletically; he won All-Conference academic honors, was on the National Honor Roll, was a State Journal Student-Athlete of the Week several times, and gained three letters in track for the high jump. As a senior in 2002, Iguodala led Lanphier's basketball team to a runner-up finish at the Illinois High School Association Class AA state tournament. That season, he averaged 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He was named "Chicago Sun-Times" Player of the Year as well as a second-team "Parade" All-American and Nike All-American. Iguodala was also a finalist for the Illinois Mr. Basketball award, which was awarded to Dee Brown. His Lanphier jersey is now retired.  During the summer of 2000, Iguodala captured the attention of coaches around the nation as he was named the AAU national tournament Most Valuable Player after hitting the game-winning shot at the final buzzer to give his team the 17-and-under national title. In 2002, he played in the Jordan Brand Classic in Washington, D.C. In 22 minutes of play, Iguodala put up six points on 3–6 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Iguodala played AAU basketball under Larry Butler and the Illinois Warriors, the team that has featured other professional players such as Dwyane Wade, Quentin Richardson, and Jon Scheyer.  Considered a four-star recruit by Scout.com, Iguodala was listed as the No. 6 small forward and the No. 26 player in the nation in 2002.

College career.

Iguodala initially signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Arkansas. He had narrowed down his list of desired schools to two: Kansas or Arkansas. Iguodala was enticed by Arkansas's 1–3 system, which would have allowed Iguodala to run the point occasionally. Iguodala visited the Arkansas campus and was impressed by their large gymnasium and the number of fans at a practice while he visited with his mother and father. However, after their coach, Nolan Richardson, was fired that year (2002), Iguodala decided to attend Arizona instead. At Arizona he joined future NBA players Channing Frye, Luke Walton, Mustafa Shakur, Salim Stoudamire and Hassan Adams. One of the determining factors for Iguodala was the commitment of Hassan Adams, whom Iguodala had played with in the Jordan Brand Classic in high school. Many colleges regarded Iguodala as a track star turned basketball player but teammate Luke Walton said, "He is going to be one of the best players to ever come out of Arizona by the time he is done here". He was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshmen team for 2002–03. In his freshman year he quickly established himself as one of the best all-around players on the team, ranking in the top 5 for his team in just about every major category.  As a sophomore in 2003–04, Iguodala was named team MVP after leading his team in rebounds, assists and steals. He also made the All-Pac-10 First Team and was named Honorable Mention All-America by "The Associated Press". He collected three triple-doubles that season, joining Jason Kidd as the only two players in Pac-10 history to post two or more triple-doubles in a season. During his career at Arizona, the Wildcats made it to the NCAA Tournament both seasons. In his freshman year the Wildcats were defeated in the Elite Eight by Kansas. In his sophomore year, Arizona was defeated in the first round by Seton Hall. After posting career totals of 594 points (9.6 ppg), 409 rebounds (6.6 rpg) and 95 steals (1.53 spg) in 62 games (34 starts) he left to enter the NBA draft. At Arizona, Iguodala planned to major in education. After the season, Iguodala signed with agent Rob Pelinka, co-founder of the Landmark Sports Agency, who had represented NBA All-Stars such as Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer and Gerald Wallace.

Professional career.

Philadelphia 76ers (2004–2012).

Rookie season.

Iguodala was selected 9th overall in the 2004 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. When Iguodala was selected, ESPN personality Dick Vitale commented that it was a mistake for the Sixers to take him, saying "Iguodala was a [27 percent] shooter from the college three-point line. He's not going to be able to play", Iguodala used this as motivation in what proved to be a very productive rookie season. Iguodala was thrust into the starting lineup immediately during his rookie season and was the only 76er to play and start all 82 regular season games plus 5 playoff games, becoming a favorite target of Allen Iverson in the process, often connecting on highlight-reel dunks on passes or alley-oops from Iverson. Iguodala proved his versatility, as he was the only rookie and 76er to record a triple-double that season, doing it against the defending champion Detroit Pistons. In the game, he scored 10 points, caught 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists. During the season, he averaged 9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 32.8 minutes per game. His efforts were rewarded when he was named to the All-Rookie First Team and started on the rookie team during the Rookie Challenge portion of All-Star Weekend. He finished fourth in voting for NBA Rookie of the Year.

Sophomore season.

Now a permanent fixture in the 76ers starting rotation, Iguodala was the only Sixer to play in and start all 82 games in his second season. On February 17, 2006, at the Rookie Challenge, Iguodala won MVP honors for his 30-point performance in the Sophomores win. A day later, he participated in the Slam Dunk Contest. His first dunk was a simple windmill, but then for his second dunk he received a pass from Allen Iverson off the back side of the backboard, then leapt under the board and put in the reverse on the other side and was awarded a perfect score of 50 points. In the final round he did a behind-the-back dunk and followed with a reverse. The award however was given to Nate Robinson, in a controversial decision, as Robinson had missed 14 straight dunk attempts before hitting his final one. Iguodala averaged 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds on the season.

2006–07 season.

After Allen Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets and Chris Webber was released, Iguodala would have to get accustomed to his new leadership role with the 76ers. At the time of Webber's release, the Sixers were 9–26 (Iverson only played 15 games before he was traded). With Iguodala now averaging 40.3 minutes per game, he led the Sixers on a late season run, finishing the rest of the season 26–21 and almost clinching the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs (although their late run came more as a result of other teams "tanking" to secure a higher draft pick). He went on to finish the season with averages of 18.2 points, along with 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He was one of four players to average at least 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, with the others being LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady.

2007–08 season.

Iguodala got off to a slow start to the season, even to a point where he was leading the league in turnovers. He began to step up his game as the season went on, leading Philadelphia to a playoff berth. The 76ers finished the season at 40–42, winning 22 of their last 29 games and earning a playoff spot with a victory over the Atlanta Hawks on April 4. Iguodala averaged a career-high 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game through the 82 games. Philadelphia was set to face the #2 seed Detroit. In the playoffs the Sixers lost in the first round to the Pistons in 6 games after leading the series 2–1. Iguodala had a poor playoffs series, averaging 13 points per game. On August 12, 2008, Iguodala reportedly agreed to a six-year, $80 million contract extension with the Sixers. He officially signed on August 17, 2008. The contract had $5 million in bonuses and a player option for the sixth year.

2008–09 season.

Early on in the year, Iguodala was on a Sixers team with high expectations after signing All-Star forward Elton Brand and seeing the success of forward Thaddeus Young, whom they drafted with their lottery pick the prior year. Iguodala developed into more of a primary player in the 2008–09 season, becoming more active as a facilitator on the offensive end of the floor. Early into the season, Philadelphia was struggling, which led to the departure of head coach Maurice Cheeks. The 76ers played much better basketball under Tony DiLeo. In his last year with co-captain and veteran point guard Andre Miller, Iguodala helped lead the Sixers to another playoff berth, finishing the season with a 41–41 season record, 6th in the Eastern conference. In the playoffs the 76ers were set to face the third seed Orlando Magic. In Game 1, Orlando had an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia made an amazing comeback led by Iguodala, eventually scoring a step-back, fadeaway jumper in the face of Hedo Türkoğlu with 2.2 seconds remaining to give the Sixers the win. Unfortunately, the Sixers eventually fell to the Magic in the Playoffs, failing to reach the second round. Iguodala had averaged 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game through 82 regular-season games.

2009–10 season.

In the preseason Philadelphia drafted point guard Jrue Holiday out of UCLA to take over the void left at point guard after the departure of veteran point guard Andre Miller, who had joined the Portland Trail Blazers. The Sixers hired coach Eddie Jordan to take over for Tony DiLeo. Iguodala averaged career-highs in rebounds, assists, and blocks, and a career low in personal fouls. He finished the season averaging 17.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.8 apg, and 1.7 spg. The Sixers, however, were a big disappointment, going only 27–55 during the regular season and missing the playoffs after two straight playoff berths. During the season the 76ers brought Iguodala's old friend Allen Iverson back in what would be his final season in the NBA before going to play overseas for Beşiktaş.

2010–11 season.

Coming into the 2010–11 NBA season, the 76ers were expected to rebound from their poor season. The Sixers fired head coach Eddie Jordan and brought in Doug Collins. Philadelphia also traded veteran big man Samuel Dalembert to the Sacramento Kings for a younger center Spencer Hawes; the 76ers also acquired Andrés Nocioni in the deal. With the second overall pick in the draft, the Sixers made a big splash by drafting Evan Turner. Philadelphia started the season poorly but were one of the best teams down the stretch. During the season, Iguodala was hampered by an Achilles injury, leading to career lows in games played and started, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, and steals per game as the 76ers finished with a 41–41 record. However, he also had his career-best season in assists with 6.3 apg and helped the Sixers make the playoffs with the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. During the year, Andre was the subject of multiple trade rumors that had him being traded to either the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers or Los Angeles Lakers. In the playoffs, Iguodala had the assignment of guarding LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the first round. The 76ers were eventually defeated in 5 games. For his defensive efforts throughout the season, Iguodala was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team Second Team, though his coaches and teammates lobbied for him to make the First Team. He showed his versatility during the season posting up a career high in triple-doubles. Iguodala was second behind LeBron James for most triple-doubles during the 2010–11 season.

2011–12 season: All-Star selection.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Iguodala had a week-long internship with Merrill Lynch.  On his 28th birthday, Iguodala recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double effort in a win over the Pistons. Later that season, he was selected to his first All-Star Game as a reserve. His scoring average was the lowest of all the 24 All-Stars, but he was rewarded for being the best player on the 76ers, who were leading the Atlantic Division. Collins called him a "stat-sheet stuffer". At the end of the 2011–12 NBA season, Iguodala averaged 12.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.7 spg in 35.6 mpg. He helped the Philadelphia 76ers clinch the final seed in the playoffs. In Game 6 of the Sixers' first round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls, he made two free throws with 2.2 seconds left to win the game and help the Sixers upset the Bulls en route to the franchise's first playoff series win since 2003. This was also the fifth time in NBA history that an eighth seed defeated a first seed in the opening round of the playoffs. They were eventually eliminated by the Boston Celtics in a thrilling seven games in the Conference Semifinals.

Denver Nuggets (2012–2013).

On August 10, 2012, Andre was dealt to the Denver Nuggets in a series of trades also involving the Sixers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic. Other players involved in the deal included All-Stars Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard. His arrival in Denver led to some league experts labeling Denver a contender. Iguodala returned on opening night of 2012–13 to play his former team. He put up 11 points in an 84–75 loss, and received a mixed response from the crowd. The Nuggets went on to make the playoffs with a franchise record 57–25, and a team record 15 consecutive wins. However, they were upset in the first round by the Golden State Warriors, despite Iguodala having a good series, averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2 steals per game in the series. This led to the firing of Nuggets coach George Karl, who just won the NBA Coach of the Year Award.

Golden State Warriors (2013–2019).

2013–14 season.

In July 2013, Iguodala declined a five-year deal with Denver and agreed to a four-year for a reported $48 million with the Golden State Warriors. He officially joined the Warriors in a three-team sign-and-trade deal with the Nuggets and the Utah Jazz. On November 14, Iguodala made the game-winning, buzzer-beating shot in the Warriors' 116–115 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Getting the inbound pass from Klay Thompson, Iguodala turned and made the fade-away jump shot over the Thunder's Thabo Sefolosha. Iguodala finished with 14 points and 9 assists. When playing against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 23, 2013, Iguodala strained his left hamstring late in the third quarter. Unfortunately, Iguodala went on to miss twelve consecutive games. However, on December 17, 2013, Iguodala returned to action in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. On January 3, 2014, Iguodala hit a game-winning, 3-point buzzer-beater in the Warriors' 101–100 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The win extended the Warriors' season-high winning streak to 8 games. For his defensive contributions to the Warriors, Iguodala was named to the 2014 All-NBA Defensive first team.

2014–15 season: Finals MVP.

Entering the 2014–15 season, first-year Warriors coach Steve Kerr elected to move Iguodala from the starting rotation to the sixth man reserve position, in favor of forward Harrison Barnes. Since entering the NBA, Iguodala had played in 806 games as a starter without entering a game as a reserve, a league high over that span. On March 18, 2015, he scored a then season-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting in a 114–95 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Warriors advanced to the 2015 NBA Finals to face Cleveland, where he was the team's best defender against Cavaliers star LeBron James. With Golden State down 2–1 in the series, Iguodala made his first start of the season, replacing center Andrew Bogut in Game 4. Iguodala scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, which included four 3-pointers. The Warriors' small lineup, which came to be known as the Death Lineup, helped turn the series around. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in six games, and Iguodala was named the Finals MVP, becoming first player to win the award without starting a game during the regular season. He was also the first MVP to not have started every game in the Finals. He finished the series averaging 16.3 points, 4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds. When Iguodala was in the game, James made only 38.1% of his shots, compared to 44% without Iguodala.

2015–16 season.

On November 11, 2015, Iguodala scored a season-high 20 points against the Memphis Grizzlies to help the Warriors begin the season 9–0. The Warriors' NBA-record start ended after 24 wins when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 108–95 on December 12. An ankle injury suffered in early March forced Igoudala to miss 13 straight games. The Warriors finished the regular season as the first seed in the Western Conference with a 73–9 record, the best overall record in NBA history, surpassing the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls' mark of 72–10, while Iguodala finished as runner-up for the 2015–16 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. In the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors faced the eighth-seeded Houston Rockets, and in a Game 4 win on April 24, Iguodala scored a season-high 22 points. The Warriors went on to defeat the Rockets in five games. In the second round, Iguodala helped the Warriors defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games to qualify for the Western Conference Finals. In their conference finals match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Iguodala helped the Warriors fight back from a 3–1 deficit in the series to win clinch a 4–3 victory. In Game 6 of the series, Iguodala's defense on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook was key to the Warriors forcing Game 7. In Game 7, Iguodala started in place of Harrison Barnes and again marked Kevin Durant. With a Game 7 victory, the Warriors moved on to the NBA Finals for the second straight year. The Warriors would again play the Cleveland Cavaliers for the championship. Despite the Warriors going up 3–1 in the series following a Game 4 win, they went on to lose the series in seven games to become the first team in NBA history to lose the championship series after being up 3–1.

2016–17 season: Second NBA Championship.

On November 28, 2016, Iguodala had a season-best game with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists in a 105–100 win over the Atlanta Hawks, helping the Warriors start the season 16–2 while recording their 12th straight victory—their equal third-longest streak in franchise history. On January 16, 2017, he came off the bench to make all five of his field goal attempts for a season-high 14 points in a 126–91 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. In February 2017, long-time agent Rob Pelinka was appointed as the new general manager for the Los Angeles Lakers; Iguodala chose to remain with the Landmark Sports Agency, and co-founder Brandon Rosenthal took over as Iguodala's agent. On March 6, 2017, he set a new season high with 24 points in a 119–111 win over the Atlanta Hawks. On March 13, 2017, he was fined $10,000 by the NBA for using racially intemperate language in an interview following the Warriors' loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 10. The Warriors finished the season as the first seed in the West with a 67–15 record. Following a 129–115 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals over the Spurs, the Warriors reached their third straight NBA Finals series while becoming the first team in league history to start the playoffs 12–0. Iguodala was a key bench player during the 2017 NBA Finals, often guarding LeBron James and scored 20 points in Game 5, helping the Warriors win the championship by defeating the Cavaliers in five games.

2017–18 season: Third NBA Championship.

Iguodala entered the 2017 off-season as a free agent and held meetings with numerous competing teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, and Houston Rockets. However, on July 25, 2017, Iguodala re-signed with the Warriors on a three-year, $48 million contract. On December 11, 2017 against the Portland Trail Blazers, Iguodala played his 1,000th regular-season game, becoming one of 126 players in NBA history to accomplish the feat. Iguodala played in Game 3 of the 2018 NBA Finals after missing the final four games of the Western Conference Finals and the first two games of the NBA Finals with a left lateral leg contusion. The Warriors went on to win their third championship in four years with a sweep of the Cavaliers.

2018–19 season.

Iguodala averaged a career-low 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in the regular season. During the playoffs, he boosted his averages to 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while also starting a majority of the games. In a sign of respect towards their opponent and with an increased urgency, Kerr opened the conference semifinals against Houston by moving Iguodala from the bench and starting their Hamptons Five lineup for the first time in the season. After starting nine consecutive games, he missed the deciding Game 4 in the conference finals against Portland with a sore left calf injury from Game 3. The Warriors returned to the NBA Finals for the fifth straight season, but lost in six games to the Toronto Raptors. In a 114–110 series-ending loss in Game 6, Iguodala had 22 points for his best scoring output of the postseason. However, Thompson left the game after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, and Durant was already sidelined after rupturing his right Achilles tendon in Game 5. But, Iguodala playing times is limited once again for allowing the return injury player DeMarcus Cousins to play in heavy minutes.

Memphis Grizzlies (2019–2020).

On July 7, 2019, Golden State traded Iguodala along with a protected first round draft pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for Julian Washburn. The Warriors received a traded player exception in the deal. Golden State was eyeing a replacement for Thompson while he recovered from his injury, and the trade freed salary cap space for them to acquire All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade package with the Brooklyn Nets for Durant, who had announced earlier that he planned to sign with the Nets. Afterwards, the Warriors stated that they planned to eventually retire Iguodala's No. 9 jersey.  The Grizzlies, who were rebuilding, reached an agreement before training camp to allow Iguodala to stay away from the team and train on his own. They kept him on their 15-man opening day roster instead of buying out the 35-year-old veteran, who was earning $17 million in the last year of his contract. Memphis was hoping for a quality trade with a playoff contender in exchange for Iguodala and his championship experience.

Miami Heat (2020–present).

On February 6, 2020, Iguodala was traded to the Miami Heat in a three-team trade along with Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill with the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves. As part of the trade, he agreed to a 2-year $30 million extension with Miami, with the last year being a team option.

National team career.

Iguodala was a member of the United States national team in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, winning the gold medal. In the FIBA World Championships Iguodala displayed his athleticism with an array of fastbreak dunks.  Iguodala was also selected for the 2012 London Olympics team, largely due to his exceptional defensive ability. He helped Team USA win the gold medal against Spain in a 107–100 victory. Coach Mike Krzyzewski called Iguodala one of the team's best players, and compared his game to that of Scottie Pippen.  He also won a bronze medal with the U.S. at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in 2002.

Personal life.

In August 2015, Iguodala married his childhood sweetheart, Christina Gutierrez, at One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico. Iguodala has a daughter, London, and a son, Andre Jr.  Iguodala is a Christian. He has said, "Faith is something I heavily lean on to give me that balance. I make sure I stay in chapel and have a good relationship with our chaplain. It keeps me focused... When people see us on the court, we want them to see God's work. We want to be a good representation of what we believe in...When you go out there, you’re not just representing your country or the NBA, you’re representing your beliefs. You want to play hard for someone who died for you".  "The Sporting News" named Iguodala one of "the good guys of 2006" for establishing the Andre Iguodala Disaster Relief Fund that raised money for tornado victims in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois. He later established the Andre Iguodala Youth Foundation, whose stated mission is to use sports as a means to help youths. The organization has hosted basketball camps and the annual "Thanksgiving with Dre", which has distributed food baskets to families in need.  Alongside former teammate Stephen Curry, Iguodala is known to be an avid golfer. Iguodala enjoys playing video games, particularly the "NBA 2K" series. He played in a tournament put together at the "NBA 2K10" launch party in New York City against other NBA players Nate Robinson, Brook Lopez and Rajon Rondo, and rapper Wale.  In March 2015, Twice, an online secondhand apparel outlet, named Iguodala its Menswear Style Director.

Business interests.

Iguodala is a tech-investor and a leading advocate for athletes in the NBA to invest in the technology industry. His partnership with entrepreneurs in San Francisco's Silicon Valley has led to an annual event tagged Players Technology Summit. The inaugural edition of the event began in 2017 where Iguodala and teammate Stephen Curry played hosts. The second edition saw other athletes from the NBA like Kevin Durant and Jaylen Brown make debuts. The Players Technology Summit, sponsored by Bloomberg, was established as a platform to set a discourse and help shape conversations for athletes' financial future through opportunities in the technology industry.  Together with partner Rudy Cline-Thomas, Iguodala has been able to invest in companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Tesla. The two have also invested in at least 25 different startups in the technology industry.

Books.

On June 25, 2019, Iguodala released "The Sixth Man: A Memoir".

Andre Tyler Iguodala ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The swingman was an NBA All-Star in 2012 and has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team twice. He won three NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors and was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2015. He was also a member of the United States national team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and 2012 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal both times.

Andre Tyler Iguodala est un joueur américain de basket-ball né le à Springfield, Illinois, évoluant au Heat de Miami aux postes d'arrière et d'ailier (« "swingman" »). Il a été All-Star en 2012 et a été nommé à deux reprises dans la All-Defensive Team (deuxième équipe en 2012, première équipe en 2014, récompensant les meilleurs défenseurs de la saison). Il est considéré comme l'un des meilleurs défenseurs de la NBA.


History.

Approximately 7–8,000 years ago, Native American hunters pursued wild animals for food in the Itasca State Park region. These early people ambushed bison, deer, and moose at watering sites and killed them with stone–tipped spears. The bison kill site along Wilderness Drive in the park gives visitors historical insight about this period.  A few thousand years later, a group of people of the Woodland Period arrived at Lake Itasca. They lived in larger, more permanent settlements and made a variety of stone, wood, and bone tools. Burial mounds from this era can be seen today at the Itasca Indian Cemetery.  In 1832 Anishinaabe guide Ozawindib led explorer Henry Schoolcraft to the source of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca. It was on this journey that Schoolcraft, with the help of an educated missionary companion, created the name Itasca from the Latin words for "truth" and "head" ("veritas caput"). In the late 19th century, Jacob V. Brower, historian, anthropologist and land surveyor, came to the park region to settle the dispute of the actual location of the Mississippi's headwaters. Brower saw this region being quickly transformed by logging, and was determined to protect some of the pine forests for future generations. It was Brower's tireless efforts to save the remaining pine forest surrounding Lake Itasca that led the state legislature to establish Itasca as a Minnesota State Park on April 20, 1891, by a margin of only one vote. Through his conservation work and the continuing efforts of others throughout the decades, the grounds of Itasca had been maintained.  Established in 1909, Itasca Biological Station and Labs (IBSL) is one of the oldest and largest continuously-operated inland field training centers in the United States. This site serves as a research facility and a site for summer-session undergraduate field biology courses for the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences. Each year new College of Biological Sciences students attend the "Nature of Life" orientation program which is held by the lake, allowing the study of a diverse, undisturbed environment from the organismal level to that of an entire ecosystem.

Landscape.

Lake Itasca, the official source of the Mississippi River and a scenic area of northern Minnesota, has remained relatively unchanged from its natural state. Most of the area has a heavy growth of timber that includes virgin red pine, which is also Minnesota's state tree. Some of the red pine in Itasca are over 200 years old.  The Itasca terrain is sometimes referred to as "knob and kettle." The knobs are mounds of debris deposited directly by the ice near the edge of glaciers or by melt–water streams flowing on or under the glacier's surface. The kettles are depressions, usually filled with water, formed by dormant ice masses buried or partially buried under glacial debris that later melted. The retreat of the ice around 10,000 years ago left behind 157 lakes of varying size that cover of Itasca State Park. The glaciers deposited a moraine, a combination of silt, clay, sand, and gravel that covers the landscape to a depth of around. The park also integrates of upland and of swamp.

Biology and ecology.

Plant life.

The Itasca area's old-growth pine forests are almost as famous as the Mississippi headwaters. The area is currently one of the few places in state that has preserved these ancient pines from destruction. These pine forests were the main concern of Brower when he pushed to preserve the area as a state park. Logging operations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries depleted the large pine forests found in the park. Logging ended around 1920.  Pine restoration has been attempted dating back to 1902, but with limited success. Fire suppression in the area has eliminated wildfires in the park since the 1920s. Fire is necessary to the regeneration of white, red, and jack pines in the area because it opens the forest floor and canopy for new trees to grow. An overpopulation of white-tailed deer also stunt the regeneration efforts of these pines, as deer browse young pine seedling and prevent them from maturing into trees.  A combination of jack pine and northern pin oak dominated the park before European settlement. Among the numerous varieties of trees Itasca accommodates are quaking aspen, bigtooth aspen, paper birch, red pine, white pine, as well as a mix of northern hardwoods. Current vegetation of the park now include: eastern white pine, red pine, aspen–birch, mixed hardwoods, jack pine barrens, and conifer bog. Logged areas of white and red pine are now home to a combination of aspen and birch trees, with aspen being the most dominant species of tree in the park today. The four principal forest communities in this locale remain to be aspen–birch, red pine, white pine, and northern hardwoods.  The park is home to fourteen plants placed on the state endangered species list; these consist of ram's–head lady's slipper "(Cypripedium arietinum)", olivaceous spike–rush "(Eleocharis olivacea)", bog adder's–mouth "(Malaxis paludosa)", slender naiad "(Najas gracillma)", and sheathed pondweed "(Potamogeton vaginatus)".

Fauna.

Three terrestrial biomes, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, and prairie all intersect in the Itasca region and allow habitat for numerous vegetation and animals. Itasca is home to over 200 bird species encompassing: bald eagles, loons, grebes, cormorants, herons, ducks, owls, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, kinglets, vireos, tanagers, finches, and warblers. Residing among the many trails in the park are over 60 types of mammals including beaver, porcupine, black bear, and timber wolves.  The white-tailed deer overpopulation has caused problems within the park. According to 1998 statistics it was estimated that the density of deer is around 15 to 17 per square mile compared with the 4–10 per square mile in similar areas in Wisconsin. The cause of the deer boom was the addition of man-made open spaces and a deer protection zone put in place from the early 20th century until the 1940s. Annual deer hunts have been held since 1940 in an effort to curb white tail deer population.  The caddisfly "Chilostigma itascae" is only known to live in Nicollet Creek in the park.

National Natural Landmark designation.

Under the name of Itasca Natural Area, the area was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service under the Historic Sites Act. It received this designation in November 1965 from the United States Secretary of the Interior, giving it recognition as an outstanding example of the nation's natural history. The designation describes its significance: The area contains some of the finest remaining stands of virgin red pine, spruce-balsam fir, and maple-basswood-aspen forest, supporting 141 bird and 53 mammal species, including bald eagles.

Climate.

Itasca State Park lies in northern Minnesota; a location that can be affected by three major air masses. An Arctic air stream extends south from Canada during the winter months; Pacific air that follows strong west winds move over the area and during the summer month a tropical air stream flows north from the Gulf of Mexico. These various air masses have a strong effect on the climate of the area around Itasca State Park.  The winter climate produces extremely cold temperatures, with an average minimum temperature for Itasca being. This cold weather is accompanied with snowfall amounts averaging around annually. A combination of the Arctic air with heavy snowfall and wind can create severe blizzard conditions in the area.  In the summer, the Pacific and tropical winds from the Gulf create warm to hot temperatures, with the highs during July averaging. However a clash of cool, dry polar air from Canada and the moisture from the southern tropical Gulf air can lead to showers and thunderstorms. The average annual rainfall in the Itasca area is. It has a relatively short growing season, with the first frost usually occurring in late September to early October and the first frost-free days not occurring until mid-May or early June.

Recreation.

Itasca State Park's recreational activities cover all four seasons of the year. Within the restored log building headquarters is a 31-bed youth hostel operated by Hostelling International USA, open to travelers of all ages.  Spring reels in the fishermen for the May fishing openers of walleye, northern pike, bass, and panfish. The park is in full bloom including a vast array of wildflowers. Birding is also a popular spring activity as the varying species return from migration.  Lake Itasca is a popular location for summer activities in Minnesota, with 496,651 visitors in 2006. Fishing, canoeing, boating, and kayaking equipment are always accessible. On land recreation consists of biking via the Heartland Trail, horseback riding, and hiking. A section of the North Country National Scenic Trail passes through the Park's southern tier and includes three backcountry campsites. Numerous historical sites are available to view. The headwaters of the Mississippi River are one of the most visited sites featured at the park. Tourists can visit the new Mary Gibbs Visitor Center and the exhibits at the Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center. The park also offers a climb up the historic Aiton Heights Fire Tower.  Fall unveils the beautiful array of colors amidst the variety of trees throughout the park. This is another recommended season to bike, hike, or even take a leisurely walk through the designated trails. The park offers worth of hiking trails.  Winter lures in the ice fishermen, who gather on Lake Itasca. Snowmobilers can travel hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails, while the skiers use of cross country skiing trails (both novice and skilled level) that are maintained regularly.

Park facilities.

Scattered around the boundaries of Itasca State Park stand a variety of historical and tourist attractions. Constructed over a 37-year period from 1905–1942, development was undertaken by two Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps as well as two Works Progress Administration (WPA) camps. Architects for this later development were from the Minnesota Central Design Office of the National Park Service with Edward W. Barber and V.C. Martin serving as principal architects for the park buildings. Log construction was generally used because timber was easily available in the area.

Rustic style design.

Itasca's rustic style design is the largest collection of log–constructed buildings in the state park system. It provides a uniform appearance to the park, setting it apart from all others. Douglas Lodge, built in 1905, is the oldest surviving building and the first to be constructed in the Rustic Style. This structure is located along the south shore of Lake Itasca and was built using peeled logs harvested from the surrounding forests. Funded by State legislature in 1903, it became the first building to house the park's visitors. Originally, it was called "Itasca Park Lodge" or "State House", but was later named after Minnesota Attorney General Wallace B. Douglas, a prominent figure in the battle to save the timber in Itasca State Park at the start of the 20th century. At the time, very few governments were setting aside land for conservation, which shows the significance of this encounter. Douglas Lodge has provided tourist facilities since 1911 and remains functional today after undergoing renovations in the years following its grand opening. The Lodge is used as a hotel for guests to stay in, and the main lobby for the "Douglas Lodge Cabins" around it. There is also a restaurant famous for wild rice soup.  The Clubhouse, assembled in 1911, overlooks Lake Itasca. The interior contains ten dormitories placed around a two–story Rustic Style lobby. The Clubhouse contains a very large fireplace, couches, and a very great staircase. Over the years, the Clubhouse encountered few problems in the maintenance department other than minor deterioration in the lower logs, which were replaced in 1984. Today, guests may stay in the ten rooms.  The Old Timer's Cabin is also found on the shores of Lake Itasca, located north of the Clubhouse. This was the first CCC–constructed building to appear in the park. The CCC originally referred to the Old Timer's Cabin as the "Honeymooner's Cabin" because of its small size and relative isolation.  Forest Inn is one of the largest creations by the CCC in the state park system, standing. It took a crew of 200 CCC members to produce the finished product, complete with both split stone and log components. The stone used in the walkways were scrap pieces from the quarries and stone works of the St. Cloud area and the logs used on the cabin came from the pine and balsam fir within the park vicinity.

Mississippi headwaters.

The headwaters of the Mississippi River are clearly defined by a long outlet dam at the north end of Lake Itasca. This setup allows tourists to wade in shallow water or cross over it by way of the bridge constructed of logs. In 1903 a 24-year-old park commissioner named Mary Gibbs played a significant role in saving the tall pine forests and shoreline of the Mississippi River Headwaters by resisting efforts to log the area. In honor of her efforts, the Mary Gibbs Visitor Center, which encloses a restaurant, gift shop, various displays and exhibits of the park's features, and an outdoor plaza now exists. Visitors can walk across the rocks connecting the sides of the Mississippi. There is also a bridge, for those who don't want to get wet.

Archaeological and cemetery sites.

Itasca State Park currently contains more than 30 known archaeological and cemetery sites. The study of archaeological remains in the Itasca area was started by Jacob V. Brower in the late 19th century. Survey work on archaeological remains place human activity in the Itasca area as early as 8,000 years ago. Human activity spans over several historical periods, from Early Eastern Archaic, through the Archaic and Woodland periods.  The Itasca Bison Kill Site is the oldest archaeological site within Itasca State Park. The site dates back to the Early Eastern Archaic period. The discovery took place in 1937 during the construction of the Wilderness Drive. It is located near the southwestern shore of Lake Itasca by Nicollet Creek. An initial finding of the remains of human made artifacts prompted the University of Minnesota to conduct an extensive excavation of the area in 1964 and 1965. Excavation of the area revealed a large of amount of bones from an extinct species of Bison hence the name of the site. Human tools, such as knives, spears and scrapers were discovered in the vicinity.  The Itasca State Park Site was discovered and excavated by Jacob Brower in the late 19th century. The site consists of ten burial mounds, dating back approximately 800 years, along the northeastern shore of Lake Itasca. An effort was made in the late 1980s to rebury American Indian remains that had been removed. This act was in collaboration with a statewide effort to rebury the several thousand remains that had been excavated.  Several other major sites exist in Itasca, including the Headwaters Site, which is located along the northeast shore of Lake Itasca, and a village site discovered by Jacob Brower in the late 19th century. Significant portions of this site have been converted into trails, parking lots and visitor service facilities. Archaeological remains have also been discovered at the Headwater's West Terrace Site along the west bank of the Mississippi near Lake Itasca, the Bear Paw Campground Site which lies adjacent to Lake Itasca, as well as Pioneer Cemetery which is located on the eastern shore of Lake Itasca and contains the remains of early European pioneers.

Itasca State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, and contains the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The park spans of northern Minnesota, and is located about north of Park Rapids, Minnesota and from Bagley, Minnesota. The park is part of Minnesota's Pine Moraines and Outwash Plains Ecological Subsection and is contained within Clearwater, Hubbard, and Becker counties.

Le parc d'État d'Itasca (en anglais : "Itasca State Park") est une réserve naturelle située dans l'État du Minnesota, aux États-Unis. Le parc abrite le lac Itasca et les sources du Mississippi. Il est le plus ancien de l'État du Minnesota.


Chronicon Anglicanum.

Ralph himself tells us these facts; and that his resignation of the abbacy was made against the wishes of the brethren, in consequence of his bad health. He took up and continued a "Chronicon Anglicanum" belonging to his house; the original work begins at 1066, his own share at 1187. He hoped to reach the year 1227, but his autograph copy breaks off three years earlier.  Ralph makes no pretensions to be a literary artist. Where he had a written authority before him he was content to reproduce even the phraseology of his original. At other times he strings together in chronological order, without any links of connection, the anecdotes which he gathered from chance visitors.  Unlike Benedictus Abbas and Roger of Hoveden, he makes little use of documents; only three letters are quoted in his work. On the other hand, the corrections and erasures of the autograph show that he took pains to verify his details; and his informants are sometimes worthy of exceptional confidence. Thus he vouches Richard's chaplain Anselm for the story of the king's capture by Leopold of Austria.  The tone of the chronicle is usually dispassionate; but the original text contained some personal strictures upon Prince John, which are reproduced in Roger of Wendover. The admiration with which Ralph regarded Henry II is attested by his edition of Ralph Niger's chronicle; here, under the year 1161, he replies to the intemperate criticisms of the original author. On Richard I the abbot passes a judicious verdict, admitting the great qualities of that king, but arguing that his character degenerated. Towards John alone Ralph is uniformly hostile; as a Cistercian and an adherent of the Mandeville family he could hardly be otherwise.  Ralph refers in the "Chronicon" (s.a. 1091) to a book of visions and miracles which he had compiled, but this is no longer extant. He also wrote a continuation of Niger's chronicle, extending from 1162 to 1178 (printed in R. Anstruther's edition of Niger, London, 1851), and short annals from 1066 to 1223.  The autograph manuscript of the "Chronicon Anglicanum" is to be found in the British Library (Cotton, Vespasian D. X). The same volume contains the continuation of Ralph Niger. The "Chronicon Terrae Sanctae", formerly attributed to Ralph, is by another hand; it was among the sources on which he drew for the "Chronicon Anglicanum". The so-called "Libellus de motibus anglicanis sub rege Johanne" (printed by Martène and Durand, "Ampl. Collectio", v. pp. 871–882) is merely an excerpt from the "Chronicon Anglicanum". This latter work was edited for the Rolls series in 1875 by Joseph Stevenson.

Ralph of Coggeshall (died after 1227), English chronicler, was at first a monk and afterwards sixth abbot (1207–1218) of Coggeshall Abbey, an Essex foundation of the Cistercian order.

Raoul de Coggeshall (mort vers 1227), connu en anglais sous le nom de Ralph of Coggeshall est un moine anglais, devenu abbé (1207-1218) de Coggeshall, établissement de l’ordre cistercien en Essex, et connu comme chroniqueur.


Etymology.

The word "crony" first appeared in 17th-century London, according to the "Oxford English Dictionary" and is believed to be derived from the Greek word "chronios" (χρόνιος), meaning "long term".  A less likely but oft-quoted source is the supposed Irish term "Comh-Roghna", which translates as "close pals", or mutual friends.

Concept.

Government officials are particularly susceptible to accusations of cronyism, as they spend taxpayers' money. Many democratic governments are encouraged to practice administrative transparency in accounting and contracting, however, there often is no clear delineation of when an appointment to government office is "cronyism".  In the private sector, cronyism exists in organizations, often termed "the old boys' club" or "the golden circle", again the boundary between cronyism and "networking" is difficult to delineate.  It is not unusual for a politician to surround him- or herself with highly qualified subordinates, and to develop social, business, or political friendships leading to the appointment to office of friends, likewise in granting government contracts. In fact, the counsel of such friends is why the officeholder successfully obtained their powerful position; therefore, cronyism usually is easier to perceive than to demonstrate and prove. Politicians with representatives of business, other special interests, as unions and professional organizations get "crony-business" done in political agreements, especially by "reasonable" and lucrative honorariums to the politician for making speeches, or by legal donations to ones election campaign or to ones political party, etc.  Cronyism describes relationships existing among mutual acquaintances in private organizations where business, business information, and social interaction are exchanged among influential personnel. This is termed crony capitalism, and is an ethical breach of the principles of the market economy; in advanced economies, crony capitalism is a breach of market regulations.  Given crony capitalism's nature, these dishonest business practices are frequently (yet not exclusively) found in societies with ineffective legal systems. Consequently, there is an impetus upon the legislative branch of a government to ensure enforcement of the legal code capable of addressing and redressing private party manipulation of the economy by the involved businessmen and their government cronies.  The economic and social costs of cronyism are paid by society. Those costs are in the form of reduced business opportunity for the majority of the population, reduced competition in the market place, inflated consumer goods prices, decreased economic performance, inefficient business investment cycles, reduced motivation in affected organizations, and the diminution of economically productive activity. A practical cost of cronyism manifests in the poor workmanship of public and private community projects.  Cronyism is self-perpetuating; cronyism then begets a culture of cronyism. This can only be apprehended by a comprehensive, effective, and enforced legal code, with empowered government agencies which can effect prosecutions in the courts.  Some instances of cronyism are readily transparent. As to others, it is only in hindsight that the qualifications of the alleged "crony" must be evaluated. All appointments that are suspected of being cronyism are controversial. The appointed party may choose to either suppress disquiet or ignore it, depending upon the society's level of freedom of expression and individual personal liberty.

Examples.

A recent example can be found in political activity in South Carolina, particularly in relation to Governor Henry McMaster, who initially gained his position after becoming the first high-level state official to endorse current President Donald Trump and subsequently rose from lieutenant governor to governor of the state when President Trump appointed Nikki Haley to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations in November 2016. On July 9, 2019, Governor McMaster would then go on to attempt to force a vote for the President of the University of South Carolina ahead of schedule and for the benefit of his favorite candidate, Robert Caslen Jr., former superintendent of West Point Academy who was favored by President Trump and previously interviewed by the Trump administration for the position of National Security Advisor. Less than two weeks later, in spite of protestation from a majority of the student body, alumni, and major donors, the vote was cast in favor of Caslen on July 19, 2019. The Russian president Vladimir Putin is alleged to be the "head of the clan", whose assets are estimated at $200 billion. A list of Russian and Ukrainian politicians associated with "kleptocractic style" has been published by the Kleptocracy Archives project. U.S. President Donald Trump assigned at least five members of his private golf clubs to choice government jobs such as ambassadorships. This is the first time in modern history that a president has rewarded people with jobs that paid money to his own companies.

Cronyism is the practice of partiality in awarding jobs and other advantages to friends or trusted colleagues, especially in politics and between politicians and supportive organizations. For instance, this includes appointing "cronies" to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications.

Le copinage, ou favoritisme, est une pratique politique, économique ou sociale qui consiste à nommer à un poste (de responsabilité ou bien rémunéré) une personne, non sur un critère de compétence, mais parce qu'elle est une amie, un proche, etc. En ce qui concerne la nomination d'un membre de la famille, on parle de népotisme.


Early years.

Guillaume-Antoine-Benoît Capelle was born on 9 September 1775 in Salles-Curan, then in Rouergue and today in Aveyron, to a family of judges. From his youth he was an enthusiastic supporter of the French Revolution. At the age of 15 he represented the district of Millau in the 14 July 1790 Fête de la Fédération. At the age of 18 he was appointed a lieutenant in the 2nd grenadier battalion of the Pyrénées-Orientales. He served in that grade until 1794, when he was dismissed as a federalist and returned to Millau.  Capelle was briefly an itinerant actor, before marrying and becoming the commander of the National Guard of Millau. After the coup of 18 Brumaire (9 November 1799) he was sent as a delegate to Paris by his fellow citizens to congratulate the consular government. With the sponsorship of Jean-Antoine Chaptal he entered the Ministry of Interior in 1800.

First Empire.

Capelle was appointed Secretary General of the department of Alpes-Maritimes at the end of 1800, then of the Department of Stura in 1805. On 25 February 1808 he was appointed prefect of the department of the Mediterranean with its capital in Livorno. This was a difficult position. The prefecture bordered the states of the Elisa Bonaparte, the Princess of Lucca and Piombino, who was extremely jealous of his authority. Capelle was able to obtain the favor of the princess, and the most perfect understanding existed between them.  This intimacy with his sister displeased the Emperor, who moved Capelle to the position of prefect of Geneva on 30 November 1810. Capelle did not find it easy to get the citizens to accept him. Allied troops arrived at the undefended city of Geneva at the end of 1813 and forced it to surrender. Napoleon had Capelle thrown in prison despite his being exonerated by a commission of inquiry.

Bourbon Restoration.

After the first Bourbon Restoration, on 10 June 1814 Capelle accepted the position of Prefect of Ain from King Louis XVIII. The Count of Artois gave him the Officer's Cross of the Legion of Honor. When Napoleon returned, Capelle went to Ghent during the Hundred Days. He returned to France with the second Restoration. He was made prefect of Doubs, and soon after was appointed councilor of state. In 1822 he was made Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior. In 1828 he was appointed prefect of Seine-et-Oise.  On 19 May 1830 Capelle joined the Ministry of Jules de Polignac as head of the newly created Ministry of Public Works. His first task was to prepare for new elections after the 16 May 1830 dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies. On 25 July 1830 Capelle signed the reactionary July Ordinances. Three days later, when the July Revolution broke out, he fled with his colleagues and took refuge in England. He was tried in absentia before the Court of Peers and sentenced to life imprisonment, confiscation of property and the loss of all his titles.  In 1836 Capelle received a Royal pardon and returned to France where he lived in retirement. He died on 25 October 1843 in Montpellier, Hérault.

References.

Citations  Sources

Guillaume-Antoine-Benoît, baron Capelle (9 September 1775 – 25 October 1843) was a French administrator and politician. He served under Napoleon and under the Bourbon Restoration. In 1830 he was briefly Minister of Public Works on the eve of the July Revolution.

Guillaume Antoine Benoît, baron Capelle, est un préfet et homme politique français né à Salles-Curan (Rouergue, auj. département de l'Aveyron) le et mort à Montpellier (Hérault) le.


History.

The land that is present-day Oklahoma was first settled by prehistoric American Indians including the Clovis 11500 BCE, Folsom 10600 BCE and Plainview 10000 BCE cultures. Historic indigenous peoples who inhabited the region included the Wichita and Caddo peoples. In the 16th century, Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado visited in 1541, beginning European contact. Around the 1700s, two tribes from the north, the Comanches and Kiowas, migrated to the Oklahoma and Texas region.  For most of the 18th century, the Oklahoma region was under nominal French control as Louisiana. The limited interaction between the peoples was based on fur trading. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase by Thomas Jefferson brought the area under United States control. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which removed American Indian tribes from the Southeast and relocated them to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. The southern part of this territory was originally assigned to the Choctaw and Chickasaw. In 1867, the United States used the Medicine Lodge Treaty to allot the southwest portion of the Choctaw and Chickasaw's lands to the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache tribes.  Fort Sill was established in 1869 after the American Civil War by Major General Philip Sheridan, who was leading a campaign in the Indian Territory to stop raids into Texas by American Indian tribes. In 1874, the Red River War broke out in the region when the Comanche, Kiowa, and Southern Cheyenne left their Indian Territory reservation. Attrition and skirmishes by the US Army finally forced the return of the tribes back to Indian Territory in June 1875.  In 1891, the United States Congress appointed a commission to meet with the tribal leaders and come to an agreement allowing white settlement. Years of controversy and legal maneuvering ensued before President William McKinley issued a proclamation on 4 July 1901, that gave the federal government control over of surplus Indian land. Under other legislation, the United States through the Dawes Commission allotted communal lands as plots to individual households of tribal members, selling off what remained as "surplus". These actions extinguished the tribal claims to communal lands, a condition needed for the admission of Oklahoma as a state in 1907. After these changes, the legislature of the new state began to organize counties. Three 320-acre sites in Kiowa, Caddo and Comanche counties were selected for county seats, with Lawton designated as the Comanche County seat. The town was named for Major General Henry W. Lawton, a quartermaster at Fort Sill, who had taken part in the pursuit and capture of Geronimo. The city was opened to settlement through an auction of town lots beginning on 6 August 1901, which was completed 60 days later. By 25 September 1901, the Rock Island Railroad expanded to Lawton and was soon joined by the Frisco Line. The first city elections were held 24 October 1901.  The United States' entry into World War I accelerated growth at Fort Sill and Lawton. The availability of of water from Lake Lawtonka, just north of Fort Sill, was a catalyst for the War Department to establish a major cantonment named Camp Doniphan, which was active until 1922. Following World War II, Lawton enjoyed steady population growth, with the population increasing from 18,055 to 34,757 from 1940 to 1950. By the 1960s, it had reached 61,697.  In the postwar period, Lawton underwent tremendous growth during the late 1940s and 1950s, leading city officials to seek additional water sources to supplement existing water from Lake Lawtonka. In the late 1950s, the city purchased large parcels of land along East Cache Creek in northern Comanche County for the construction of a man-made lake with a dam built in 1959 on the creek just north of U.S. 277 west of Elgin. Lake Ellsworth, named for a former Lawton mayor, soft-drink bottler C.R. Ellsworth, was dedicated in the early 1960s. It offered additional water resources, but also recreational opportunities and flood control along Cache Creek.  In 1966, the Lawton City Council annexed several miles of land on the city's east, northeast, west, and northwest borders, expanding east beyond the East Cache Creek area and west to 82nd Street. On 1 March 1964, the north section of the H. E. Bailey Turnpike was completed, connecting Lawton directly to Oklahoma City, the capital. The south section of the turnpike leading to the Texas border was completed on April 23, 1964. Urban renewal efforts in the 1970s transformed downtown Lawton. A number of buildings dating to the city's founding were demolished to build an enclosed shopping mall.  On 23 June 1998, the city expanded when Lawton annexed neighboring Fort Sill. With the advent of the Base Realignment and Closure of 2005 increasing the size of Fort Sill, Lawton is expected to see continued population and economic growth over the course of the next 20 years.

Geography.

Lawton is the fifth largest city in Oklahoma, located at (34.604444 N, 98.395833 W). The city has a total area of, all land. Lawton is located approximately southwest of Oklahoma City. Other surrounding cities include Wichita Falls about to the south, Duncan about to the east, and Altus about to the west.  Lawton lies in an area typical of the Great Plains, with prairie, few trees, and flat topography with gently rolling hills. The region north of the city consists of the Wichita Mountains, including Mount Scott and Mount Pinchot, the area's highest peaks. The area consists mostly of Permian Post Oak Conglomerate limestone on the northern sections of the city. In the south sections of the city, Permian Garber sandstone is commonly found with some Hennessey Group shale. Area creeks including East Cache Creek contain deposits of Quaternary alluvium. To the northwest, the Wichita Mountains consist primarily of Wichita Granite Group from the Cambrian Period.

Climate.

Lawton lies in a dry subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification "Cfa"), with frequent variations in weather daily, except during the constantly hot and dry summer months. Frequent strong winds, usually from the south or south-southeast during the summer, help to lessen the hotter weather. Northerly winds during the winter can occasionally intensify cold periods.  The average mean temperature for southwest Oklahoma is 61.9 °F (16.6 °C). The summers can be extremely hot; Lawton averages 21 days with temperatures 100 °F (37.8 °C) and above. The winter months are typically mild, though periods of extreme cold can occur. Lawton averages eight days that fail to rise above freezing. The city receives about of precipitation and less than of snow annually.  Lawton is located squarely in the area known as Tornado Alley and is prone to severe weather from late April through early June. Most notably, an F4 tornado in 1957, and an F3 tornado in 1979 struck the southern region of the city.

Demographics.

As of the census of 2010, 96,867 people, 34,901 households, and 22,508 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,195.4 people per square mile (461.5/km2). The 39,409 housing units averaged 486.3 per square mile (187.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 60.3% White, 21.4% African American, 4.7% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 3.4% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 12.6% (7.8% Mexican, 2.8% Puerto Rican, 0.3% Panamanian).  Of the 34,901 households, 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were not families. Of all households, 29.4% were made up of individuals, and 2.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08.  In the city, the population was distributed as 24.9% under the age of 18, 15.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.  The median income for a household in the city was $41,566, and for a family was $50,507. Males had a median income of $36,440 versus $31,825 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,655. About 16.6% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy and workforce.

Lawton is primarily centered on government, manufacturing, and retail trade industries. Lawton MSA ranks fourth in Oklahoma with a gross domestic product of $4.2 billion produced in 2008, with a majority ($2.1 billion) in the government sector. Fort Sill is the largest employer in Lawton, with over 5,000 full-time employees. In the private sector, the largest employer is Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company with 2,400 full-time employees. Major employers in the Lawton area also include: Lawton Public Schools, Comanche County Memorial Hospital, City of Lawton, and Cameron University. Lawton includes two major industrial parks. One is located in the southwest region of town, while the second is located near the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport.  At present, the city of Lawton is undertaking the Downtown Revitalization Project. Its goal is to redesign the areas between Elmer Thomas Park at the north through Central Mall to the south to be more visually appealing and pedestrian friendly to encourage business growth in the area.  Lawton had 35,374 employed civilians as of the 2010 Census, and of them, 49.1% were female. Of the civilian workers, 21,842 (61.7%) were private for-profit wage and salary workers. Of the for-profit wage and salary workers, 659 (1.9% of the total Lawton civilian workforce) were employees of their own corporations. The nonprofit sector had 2,571 (7.3%) private nonprofit wage and salary workers. The government sector included 4,713 (13.3%) federal workers, 2,545 (7.2%) state government workers, and 2,160 (6.1%) local government workers. In addition, the city had 1,634 (4.6%) self-employed workers and unpaid family workers.

Arts and culture.

Events and festivals.

Lawton is home to many annual attractions, including the "Prince of Peace" Easter passion play held in the Holy City in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge each year on Palm Sunday, continuing to Easter Eve. It continues to be one of the longest-running Easter passion plays in the nation and was the basis for the 1949 movie "The Prince of Peace". The passion play was also featured in a documentary called Jesus Town, USA which focuses on a new actor portraying the role of Jesus after the former actor of 8 years retired from the role.  In May, Lawton Arts for All, Inc hosts the Arts for All Festival. The festival accommodates several judged art competitions, as well as live entertainment. The festival is typically held at Shepler Park. In late September, The International Festival is held in the city. Founded in 1979, the event showcases the many different culture, arts, and music of the community.

Museums.

Lawton has three public museums. The Museum of the Great Plains is dedicated to natural history and early settlement of the Great Plains. Outdoor exhibits include a replica of the Red River Trading Post, the original Blue Beaver schoolhouse, and Elgin Train Depot with a Frisco locomotive. The Fort Sill Museum, located on the military base of the same name, includes the old Fort Sill corral and several period buildings, including the old post guardhouse, chapel, and barracks, as well as several artillery pieces. The old fort is also designated as a National Historic Landmark. The Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center, operated by the Comanche Nation Tribe, focuses on exhibits and art relating to the Comanche culture past and present. The museum also hosts traveling American Indian exhibitions from the Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State University Museum, and Chicago's Field Museum.

Sports.

Lawton is home to Cameron University, which is a NCAA Division II school in the Lone Star Conference. Noted for winning the NAIA Football National Championship in 1987, the school currently does not have a football program. However, Cameron remains competitive in 10 varsity sports, including Men's and Women's Basketball, Baseball, and Softball.  Lawton was the former home to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry. The Cavalry moved in 2007 from Oklahoma City to Lawton, where they won two Continental Basketball Association championships and a Premier Basketball League championship. In 2011, the Cavalry ceased operations in their second year in the PBL.

Parks and recreation.

Lawton is home to 80 parks and recreation areas in varying sizes, including the largest Elmer Thomas Park. Along with the park system, the city is near three major lakes, Lake Lawtonka, Lake Ellsworth, and Elmer Thomas Lake, where boating, swimming, camping, and fishing are permitted. The Lawton branch of YMCA offers a wide variety of recreational programs to members, and the Lawton Country Club maintains an 18 hole, par 71 golf course. Recreation can also be found in many amateur leagues, including: adult softball, youth baseball, soccer, softball, and volleyball.  Northwest of the city is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to preserve the natural fauna of southwest Oklahoma. The refuge includes a Visitor Center, several camping areas, hiking trails, and many lakes for the public to explore.

Historic Structures.

There are 15 NRHP-listed places in Lawton, including the Mattie Beal House, the Carnegie Library, the First Christian Church, First Presbyterian Church of Lawton, the Mahoney-Clark House, the Meers Mining Camp, and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. An additional 11 are listed in and around Fort Sill.

Government.

Lawton uses the council–manager model of municipal government. The city's primary authority resides in the City Council, which approves ordinances, resolutions, and contracts. The city is divided into eight wards, with each ward electing a single city council representative for a three-year term. The mayor, who is elected every three years, presides and sets the agenda of the City Council, but is primarily ceremonial as a head of government. The administrative day-to-day operation of the city is headed by the City Manager, who is appointed by the City Council.<ref

Lawton is a city in, and the county seat of, Comanche County, in the State of Oklahoma. Located in southwestern Oklahoma, about southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton, Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 census, Lawton's population was 96,867, making it the fifth-largest city in the state.

Lawton est une ville des États-Unis, siège du comté de Comanche, dans l'Oklahoma. Selon le recensement de 2006, la population de la ville s'élevait à habitants, ce qui en fait la quatrième ville de l'Oklahoma après Oklahoma City, Tulsa et Norman.


Fictional history.

The Rings of Power were forged by the Elven-smiths (also known as the Gwaith-i-Mírdain) of the Noldorin settlement of Eregion. They were led by Celebrimbor, the grandson of Fëanor, the greatest craftsman of the Noldor. Humiliated by the fall of his master Morgoth at the end of the First Age, the Dark Lord Sauron had evaded the summons in Valinor to surrender and face judgment, opting instead to remain in Middle-earth and seek dominion over the people of the Earth, primarily the Elves, for he knew that the Firstborn of the Children of Ilúvatar had the greater power. In the year 1200 of the Second Age, he arrived under the guise of a fair-looking emissary of the Valar named Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, offering the knowledge to transform Middle-earth with the light of Valinor. He was shunned by the Elven leaders Gil-galad and Elrond in Lindon, but was successful in persuading the Noldor of Eregion, who desired to increase the skill and subtlety of their works while enjoying the bliss of those that had departed. With Sauron's help, they set their sights on forging magic rings, creating the Seven and the Nine. While Celebrimbor created a set of Three alone, Sauron left for Mordor in the year 1500 and forged the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, a master ring to control all the others.  Once the One Ring was made using the Black Speech, the Elves immediately became aware of Sauron's motive and quickly hid their rings. Celebrimbor sought Galadriel, who originally counselled him to destroy all the rings, but Celebrimbor could not bear to ruin them. He instead entrusted one of the Three Rings to her, and sent the other two to Gil-galad and Círdan. In an attempt to seize all the Rings of Power for himself, Sauron waged an assault upon the Elves. Desolating Eregion, he was successful in capturing the Nine. Under torture, Celebrimbor revealed where the Seven were bestowed, but refused to reveal the Three. Sauron then launched an invasion of Eriador, but Gil-galad victoriously defended the region with the aid of the Númenóreans.  Toward the end of the Second Age, the Númenóreans took Sauron prisoner. Sauron dared to accomplish by cunning what he could not achieve by force, slowly corrupting the men of Númenor, leading to its downfall. The exiled Númenóreans who survived, led by Elendil and his sons Isildur and Anárion, established the realms of Arnor and Gondor. Together with the Elves of Lindon, they formed a last alliance against Sauron, who fell at the hands of Elendil and Gil-galad. Isildur then took the One Ring for his own; but Isildur was killed in ambush, and the ring was lost for centuries. During this time, the Elves were able to use the Three Rings, while the Nine given to leaders of Men corrupted their wearers, and turned them into the Nazgûl. The Seven failed to succumb directly to Sauron's will, but ignited a sense of avarice within them. Over the years, Sauron sought to recapture the Rings, primarily the One, but was only successful in recovering the Nine and three of the Seven. During the Third Age, The One was found by Bilbo Baggins (in "The Hobbit") and a Fellowship was formed to destroy it, led by Bilbo's heir Frodo. Following the destruction of the One Ring and the ultimate fall of Sauron, the power of the rings faded. While the Nine were destroyed, the Three were carried over the sea to Aman at the end of the Third Age, inaugurating the Dominion of Men.

Description.

As observed by Saruman, each Ring of Power was adorned with "their proper gem", except for the One Ring, which was unadorned.

The Three.

The Three Rings were made to serve a different purpose; Celebrimbor had forged them alone in Eregion without Sauron's direct assistance. Although "unsullied" by Sauron's hand, they were moulded by his craft and were bound to the One. Named for the three elements of fire, water, and air, they were the last rings to be made, and were used by the Elves to ward off the decay brought by time, and to postpone weariness of the world.  When Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger, the Elves became aware of him and realized that he could use the One to control the others. They immediately took off their rings to forestall him. Incensed at his failure to deceive them, Sauron demanded that they surrender the Rings, as the Elven-smiths could not have forged them without his lore and counsel. Galadriel counseled Celebrimbor to destroy them, but ultimately suggested that the Three he had made be kept hidden. Sauron invaded Eregion and tortured Celebrimbor, who died revealing all except the Three. Sauron could not discover where the Three were hidden, though he guessed that they were given to the Elvish guardians Gil-galad and Galadriel. Only after Sauron's defeat at the end of the Second Age, when the One Ring was cut from his finger, did the Elves begin to use the Three. The rings were rendered powerless when the One Ring was destroyed at the end of the Third Age, and their respective bearers carried them over the sea to the Undying Lands.

The Seven.

Sauron tortured Celebrimbor for the location of the Seven Rings and gave them to the leaders of the seven kindreds of the Dwarves: Durin's Folk, Firebeards, Broadbeams, Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots; though a tradition of Durin's Folk claimed that Durin received his ring from the Elven-smiths. The Dwarves used their rings to increase their treasure hoards, but Sauron failed to bend them to his will, nor did their rings make them invisible. Instead, Sauron was only able to influence their sense of greed and anger. Over the years, Sauron was able to recover only three rings from the Dwarves. The last of the Seven was seized from Thráin II during his captivity in Dol Guldur. Gandalf recounts to Frodo that the remaining four were consumed by dragons. Before the outbreak of the War of the Ring, an envoy from Sauron attempted to bribe Dain II Ironfoot of the Lonely Mountain with the three surviving rings and the lost realm of Moria in exchange for information leading to the recovery of the One Ring, but Dain refused.

The Nine.

Sauron took Nine of the Rings of Power from Celebrimbor and gave them to several leaders of men. Three of these were from Númenór and one an Easterling. The nine men who used their rings became "mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old." Giving them glory and great wealth, the rings also gave them an unending long life, yet it became unendurable to them. In addition, the rings gave an ability to see things in worlds invisible to mortal men, but these are often phantoms and delusions made by Sauron. One by one, they fell to the power of the One Ring and before the end of the Second Age, all nine had been turned into ring-wraiths — the Nazgûl. Bound to Sauron's will, they became invisible save to him, and became his chief servants.

The One.

The One Ring was forged in the fires of Mount Doom in secret by Sauron himself to rule over the wearers of the other Rings, and only there could it be unmade. Unlike the other Rings, the One was created as an unadorned gold band, but it bore Sauron's incantation in the Black Speech, which became visible only when heated by fire. As the Rings of Power were made under the influence of the Sauron, the power of all Rings can only endure as long as the master ring survives. Sauron had to imbue much of his strength and will in making it, as dominating the great power of Elven Rings required a ring of surpassing potency. While Sauron wore the One, he could perceive all that the lesser Rings did. He could see and govern the very thoughts of those who wore them. Following Sauron's defeat by Elendil and Gil-galad at the War of the Last Alliance, the Ring was cut from his hand by Isildur, who took it for his own as weregild for his losses. He refused Elrond and Círdan's counsel to destroy it.  Isildur bore the Ring as an heirloom of his house, but his host was ambushed by orcs near the Gladden fields by the river Anduin. Caught unguarded, he used the Ring to escape in the river, but he was betrayed by the Ring when it purposely slipped off his finger. Suddenly visible, he was shot and killed by orcs. Then for more than two and a half thousand years, the One Ring remained hidden on the riverbed and from all knowledge, until it was discovered by the Stoor hobbit Déagol, accompanied by his friend Sméagol. It ensnared Sméagol, who murdered Déagol and took the Ring for himself. For five hundred years deep within the Misty Mountains, it corrupted him, and he became the creature Gollum, who called the Ring his "precious". The Ring is then found by the hobbit Bilbo Baggins when Gollum loses it.  Perceiving it as merely as a magic ring, Bilbo brings the One to the Shire and later bequeathes it to his heir Frodo Baggins. Made aware by the wizard Gandalf of its true nature as the master Ring of Power, Frodo flees the Shire with the Ring to seek refuge to Rivendell, where the Council of Elrond decides to destroy it. A Fellowship consisting of nine companions is formed from all free races of Middle-earth to guide and protect him. This includes his hobbit friends Sam, Merry and Pippin, Gandalf, the Dúnedain Aragorn, the dwarf Gimli, the elf Legolas, and Boromir, a man of Gondor. The fellowship dissolves midway through their quest, and Frodo and Sam continue to Mordor alone on foot, where they are aided by Gollum, who secretly seeks to take the Ring from them. In Mordor, Gollum subsequently succumbs to the Power of the One and betrays Frodo, whom he leads to be captured by the spider Shelob. He is prevented from taking the Ring by Sam, who briefly hides it for safekeeping and later returns it to Frodo. Together, Frodo and Sam finally arrive at Mount Doom, trailed by Gollum. Here Frodo finally succumbs to the One and claims it for himself. In the ensuing fight, Gollum seizes the Ring but falls with it into the fires of mountain, thus destroying the One and effectively Sauron himself.

Powers.

The Rings of Power were made using the craft taught by Sauron to give their respective wearers "wealth and dominion over others", though the main purpose of the Three Rings was to "heal and preserve". Tolkien explained that the primary power of the rings was to "the prevention and slowing of "decay"", which appealed to the Elves in their pursuit of preserving what they desire or loved in Middle-earth. Tolkien noted in his letters that the Elves can only be immortal as long as the world endures, leading them to be concerned to burdens of deathlessness in time and change. Wanting the bliss and perfect memory of Valinor, and yet to remain in Middle-earth with their prestige as the fairest, as opposed to being relegated at the bottom of the hierarchy in the Undying Lands, they became obsessed with "fading". As changeless beings in a changing world, the Elves who remained in Middle-earth, have sought to forge the rings in an attempt to delay the inevitable—the rise of the Dominion of Men. He also pointed out that each ring can enhance the "natural power" of its possessor, thus approaching its "magical aspect", which can be "easily corruptible to evil and lust of domination". In "The Fellowship of the Ring", Galadriel explains to Frodo that the Rings can only "give power according to the measure of each possessor" and that before one can use that power one would need to become far stronger, and to train one's will to the domination of others.  Mortals who take possession of a Ring of Power "fade" much more rapidly; it unnaturally extends their life-span, eventually turning them into wraiths. This power can manifest by rendering their material body invisible and making things of the invisible world visible, as half of the wearer is temporarily transported into the spirit world. The One Ring gave Gollum and Bilbo an unnatural long life, while the Nine made the Nazgûl permanently invisible. Immortal beings, however, can preserve their material things over long periods of time, as evidenced when Nenya was used by Galadriel to preserve Lothlórien. Gandalf explained to Frodo that a Ring of Power can "look after itself"—the One Ring in particular, can "slip off treacherously" and take advantage of a situation where it can to go back its master, such as betraying Isildur, Déagol, and Gollum when an opportunity arrives.  As the ruling band, the One enabled a sufficiently powerful wielder to perceive what was done by means of the lesser rings, and to see and govern the thoughts of those who wore them. Tom Bombadil, the only person unaffected by its power, could see its wearer as a visible being and did not become invisible when he wore it. Tolkien notes that forging the One Ring meant that Sauron was obliged to put almost all his own power into it—when worn, it enhanced his power; but even unworn, it remained aligned to him unless another seized it and took control of it. A prospective possessor could, if sufficiently strong, overthrow Sauron and usurp his place. As the One was made in the fires of Mount Doom, only there it can be unmade. Once destroyed, its power would immediately dissolve, and Sauron would fade to a memory of malicious will. But the Dark Lord never contemplated nor feared it, as the One was unbreakable by anyone other than him and indissoluble unless thrown to the fires of the unapproachable dark mountain, and any prospective possessor would be corrupted by the lust for it, as such that person could not bear to destroy it. Samwise, who possessed the One Ring for a limited amount of time, was able to understand the Black Speech of Orcs in Mordor.  Unlike the Seven and the Nine, the Three Rings were forged by Celebrimbor without the direct assistance from Sauron, as such the Three can not make their wearers invisible, but can be invisible themselves (except to a ring-bearer). Three have also shown to summon other powers—Narya can rekindle hearts and inspire others to resist tyranny, domination, and despair; Nenya has been described as a having a secret power that can protect from evil; while Vilya can heal and preserve wisdom.

Publication history.

The One Ring had originally appeared in Tolkien's children's fantasy novel "The Hobbit" in 1937, only as a mysterious magic ring which the titular character, the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, had stumbled upon and was left unexplained after the book was published. Following the successful response to the novel, Tolkien was persuaded by his publishers Allen & Unwin to write a sequel. Originally intending to give the character another adventure, he instead devised a background story behind the Ring upon remembering its powers of invisibility and used it as a framework to which plot of the new novel will take place. He later added several mythical elements from the unfinished manuscripts from "The Silmarillion" until the first publication of "The Lord of the Rings" in 1955. His conception of the lore behind these rings were closely linked to his development of the One Ring. Initially deciding as Sauron as instrumental in helping the forging of the Rings, Tolkien later briefly considered making Fëanor, who created the Silmarils, as also the maker of the Rings of Power, under the influence of Morgoth, the first Dark Lord. But he ultimately decided on Celebrimbor, a descendant of Fëanor, as its principal maker, under the tutelage of Sauron, Morgoth's chief servant.  For a short period while writing a background lore behind the ring, Tolkien was struggling with the idea that the Elven rings must be given a "special status"—somehow linked to the One Ring, and thus endangered by it, but also "unsullied" that it would involve them having no direct connection with Sauron. By the time he was writing the chapter "The Mirror of Galadriel", Tolkien resolved to write that the Seven and the Nine were made by the Elven-smiths of Eregion under Sauron's guidance; but the Three were made by Celebrimbor alone, while Sauron secretly made the One, which has the power over the others, and once the Elves have finally realised what his deception, they immediately hid the Three. He also drafted an idea that upon the destruction of the One, the Three will be freed from being bound to it, but he ultimately decided to discard it. Tolkien's subsequent posthumous works such as "The Silmarillion", "Unfinished Tales" and "The History of Middle-earth" also offer additional material relating to creation of the Rings.

Themes.

According to Philosophy professors Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson, the Rings of Power can be seen as a modern representation of the relationship between power and morality, remarking that it portrays an idea that "absolute power is in conflict with behaviour that respects the wishes and needs of others". They also observed that several of Tolkien's characters have responded in different ways when faced with the possibility of possessing the One Ring—characters such as Samwise Gamgee and Galadriel have rejected it; Boromir and Gollum were seduced by its power; and Frodo Baggins, though in limited use, ultimately succumbs to it; while Tom Bombadil can transcend from its power entirely. They also noted out that for Tolkien, the crucial moment of each character in the story is the moment in which they are tempted to use a Ring, a choice which will determine their fate.  Writer Isaac Asimov wrote that the Rings of Power can also be seen as a symbol of industrial technology. In a literary documentation of Tokien's mythological works, David Day observed that there is "a sense that those who possessed the rings were destroyed by their own desire of wealth and power" and characterized the rings' mastery of the world as an "illusion", and that "the ring comes to enslave its owner." Though Tolkien himself had explicitly denied such interpretations are allegorical, he also admitted that it can be applicable to an external situation and recommended it as an examination of "placing power in external objects".

Adaptations.

Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated film "The Lord of the Rings" begins with the forging of the Rings of Power and the events of the War of the Last Alliance against Sauron, all of which are animated in a silhouette against a red background using rotoscope.  The forging of the Rings of Power opens the prologue of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" film series, primarily with "" (2001). In the film, the Three Elven Rings are shown being cast using a cuttlebone mold, an ancient primitive casting technique. These were given to Gil-galad (portrayed by Mark Ferguson), Círdan (Michael Elsworth), and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett). Tolkien illustrator Alan Lee, employed as conceptual designers for the films, had a cameo as one of the nine human Ring-bearers who would later become the Nazgûl, while Sauron (Sala Baker) is seen forging the One Ring at the chamber of Mount Doom. The One Ring was also shown to have the ability to adjust in size to the finger of its wearer, such as when it became smaller to fit Isildur (Harry Sinclair). In the extended version of the film, Galadriel also properly introduces Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, to Frodo. In the concluding sequel, "" (2003), the final wearers of the Three Rings—Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Elrond (Hugo Weaving), and Galadriel, appear openly at the Grey Havens wearing the Three, with Galadriel proclaiming the end of its power and the beginning of the Dominion of Men.  Four Rings of Power have also appeared in Jackson's "The Hobbit" film series. In "" (2012), the One Ring was found by Bilbo Baggins (portrayed by Martin Freeman). In the extended version of the succeeding film "" (2013), Gandalf discovers that Sauron took the Ring of Thrór from Thráin (Antony Sher), who revealed in a flashback scene his possession of the Ring during a siege of Moria. In the concluding film "" (2014), Galadriel (Blanchett) reveals Nenya in rescuing Gandalf (McKellen) from Sauron (Benedict Cumberbatch), aided by Saruman (Christopher Lee) and Elrond (Weaving), who is wearing Vilya, the Ring of Air. In the film's extended edition, an Orc tries to cut Narya, the Ring of Fire, from Gandalf's finger before being rescued by Galadriel.  In the gameplay of the 2014 video game "", the player controls a Gondorian ranger named Talion, who is imbued by the wraith-like spirit of Celebrimbor. In the game, Celebrimbor recalls how Sauron had deceived him into forging the Rings of Power. Continuing the narrative in its sequel, "", Celebrimbor (using Talion's physical body) forges a new Ring of Power free and unsullied from Sauron's influence.

The Rings of Power (also known as the Great Rings) are fictional magical artefacts appearing in Tolkien's legendarium. Primarily featured in his epic high fantasy novel "The Lord of the Rings" (1954), these magic rings are depicted as the objects essential in the Dark Lord Sauron's plan to rule over Middle-earth as the "Lord of the Rings". All but one of the twenty rings were created by the Noldorin Elven-smiths of Eregion in the Second Age, led by their ruler Celebrimbor under the deception of Sauron, who guided them in their craft under the guise of a fair-looking emissary named Annatar.

Les anneaux de pouvoir ("" en anglais) sont des objets fictifs appartenant au légendaire créé par l'écrivain britannique. Apparaissant dans son roman "Le Seigneur des anneaux", ils sont d'abord décrits au début de "La Communauté de l'anneau" dans un poème, connu depuis longtemps des elfes et énoncé par Gandalf le magicien à Frodon Sacquet :


Life.

A son of Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Ira von Fürstenberg, Hubertus was born in Mexico City, Mexico where his father ran a Volkswagen factory. His paternal grandparents are Prince Tassilo of Fürstenberg (20 June 1903) and Clara Agnelli, and his paternal great-grandparents were Prince Karl Emil von Fürstenberg (1867-1945) and the Hungarian Countess Mária Matild Georgina Festetics de Tolna (24 May 1881– 2 March 1953). His grandmother is half Mexican. He lived in Mexico for the first four years of his life and then moved to Spain. He later studied in Austria and his main residence was in Vienna, where he works as a photographer and artist. Although he has Mexican nationality, which makes him eligible to compete for Mexico, he only spends a few weeks a year there. He is fluent in several languages and grew up in Europe, mainly Austria. Hohenlohe had a brother named Christoph (1956–2006) and has two half-sisters (Arriana Mara and Désirée). He currently resides in Liechtenstein, of which he is also a citizen. His uncle Prince Max von Hohenlohe competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics. He was first cousin of late Prince Marco of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.  Hubertus acted as co-producer for Yello and Shirley Bassey's 1987 collaborative single "The Rhythm Divine".  Hubertus has work on display with the Art of the Olympians  He hosts the travel show Hubertusjagd on Redbull TV.

Sports career.

Hohenlohe founded the Mexican Ski Federation in 1981. He first skied for Mexico at a Winter Olympics at the 1984 games in Sarajevo, and managed to finish 26th in slalom. After the 1984 Winter Olympics, Hohenlohe managed to participate in 1988, 1992, and 1994 Games. He qualified for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, but the Mexican Olympic Committee decided not to send a one-man team to the Winter Games that year.  Hohenlohe has stated that the only reason why he continues to participate is because it seems that the "exotic skiers" (those from countries without a tradition in winter sports) are disappearing, and that he wants to keep that tradition alive. Since 1982, he has participated in 15 World Championships and set a World Record. Hohenlohe was expected to retire following the 2007 Alpine Skiing World Championships, after breaking his leg during a World Cup slalom race on January 28, 2007, eliminating him from the competition in Åre.  He came back to competition in 2009 and competed in his 12th World Championship, the 2009 Alpine Skiing World Championships.  Hubertus was the sole athlete in the Mexican team at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He participated in two alpine skiing disciplines, the Men's Giant Slalom (78th) and the Men's Slalom (46th). At 51, he was the oldest athlete at the games. He also competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics, where he was Mexico's sole athlete again. He participated in slalom but did not finish after a fall during the first run.  In 2015, he was joined by Sarah Schleper on the Mexican ski team, doubling its size.  von Hohenlohe, affectionately called "El Príncipe", mooted retiring for 2017, but instead decided to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Another two hopes for Alpine Mexico, aside from Hubertus, and Schleper, are Rodolfo Dickson and Jocelyn McGillivray. Additionally, three more hope to represent Mexico, Robby Franco in freestyle skiing, Sandra Hillen in snowboard and German Madrazo in Cross-country skiing. He failed to qualify for the 2018 Olympics, but designed the race suits for the Mexican alpine skiers..

References.

Notes

Prince Hubertus of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (born 2 February 1959 in Mexico City as Hubertus Rudolph zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg; ) is a Mexican Alpine skier, photographer, businessman, and a pop singer known as Andy Himalaya and Royal Disaster. He belongs to a family which reigned over a principality in what is now the northeastern of Baden-Württemberg in Germany until the early 19th century.

Hubertus von Hohenlohe-Langenburg, né le à Mexico, est un skieur alpin mexico-austro-germano-espagnol qui a défendu les couleurs mexicaines en ski. Il est le second fils du prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenbourg (1924-2003) et de la princesse Ira von Fürstenberg (1940), nièce du milliardaire Agnelli.