Charles Leland Sonnichsen (September 20, 1901 – June 29, 1991) was a Benedict Professor of English at the University of Texas, El Paso.
In addition to being a noted Southwestern historian and folklorist, he was a prolific author and screenwriter.
Among his many books are The Mescalero Apaches, Alias Billy the Kid and Tucson: The Life and Times of an American City.
[1] Sonnichsen first held teaching positions St. James School in Faribault, Minnesota, and Carnegie Institute of Technology before relocating to El Paso, Texas and taking a role as associate professor of English at the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy (later The University of Texas at El Paso).
He rose through teaching and administrative ranks to professor, chairman of the English Department (a post he held for 27 years), dean of the graduate school, and H. Y. Benedict Professor of English.