~ West Texas Historical Association ~
This year's meeting will be a joint meeting of the West Texas and East Texas Historical Associations in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 26-27, 2010. Meeting information can be found here.
Take our new poll. What are your top ten Western movies of all time? Here is your opportunity to vote for your favorites, whether they are old or new, well-known or obscure, serious or funny, historically correct or “guilty pleasure.” The results will be announced at the upcoming annual conference in Fort Worth. Click Here to take survey
Upcoming events:
February 21, 2010 -
the Lubbock Heritage Society is presenting a program on WPA projects in Lubbock and the surrounding area at 2:00 p.m. at the Mahon Library community room. Sarah Barnwinkel will have a power point presentation on the projects. Andy Wilkerson and Andy Hedges will perform depression ear music. The program is free and open to the public.
Stamp
Cancellation Project 2010: 52 Counties = 52 Weeks of Fun!
The TPTR and the U.S. Postal Service are partnering together
to do a pictorial postmark in the county seat of 52 counties
in the Plains Region beginning Wednesday, January 6, 2010.
Each Wednesday of 2010 a different post office in a
different county will do a pictorial postmark. Dates for
each county's event can be found on the Texas Heritage
Trails Program's
website. Pictured at the right are, from left to
right, Linda Germany (TPTR White Deer), Mike Germany (TPTR
White Deer), Deborah Sue McDonald, Executive Director, TPTR,
in the center - Cathy Baggett, PM - Panhandle, TX, Viola
Moore, Director, Carson Co. Square House Museum, and Millie
Robertson, Post Office Assistant. Photo and identifications
courtesy of Rick Vanderpool.
Fellowships and Grants Available
:The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library's Formby Research Fellowship makes available short-term fellowships of 1-3 months with a stipend of $2,000 per month. More information on how to apply is available here.
The West Texas History Fellowship Program offers two fellowships of $40,000 each to be awarded in April 2010. Fellowships are for a full academic year and a $5,000 publishing subvention will be provided to an academic press for each completed manuscript accepted for publication. To apply, go to here.
Baylor University Institute for Oral History is making available a $2,500 grant to support nonprofit groups in Texas conducting oral history research at the community level. Applications are due on January 15, 2010. More information available here
The
Texas Historical Commission (THC) is offering a round of Heritage Tourism Partnership Grants for communities in the Texas Lakes, Mountain, Plains and Tropical Trail Regions. A total of $30,000 in grant monies is available to each heritage region. Individual grants of $5,000 minimum require a one-to-one matching contribution. More information available hereOther opportunities for students
:The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is seeking student applicants for its Preservation Fellows Program, which strives to increase the diversity of professionals working in the field of historic preservation. To apply, go here
New for Researchers:
This was sent to WTHA to pass along to researchers interested in Abilene history:
Also available digitally are the HSU Bronco yearbooks and the HSU bulletins/catalogs. Go the HSU Library webpage and click “HSU Digital Archives” on the center right of the page under “Help Resources”: Link
On
January 8, 2010, Tom
Alexander was interviewed on Think on
Dallas's KERA PBS channel about his new
book. On January 31, 2010, Tom and Rena
Pederson did a presentation and book
reception on the
publication of his new book, "Stanly Marcus: The
Relentless Reign of a Merchant Prince" at the Margaret and Al Hill Lecture Hall
at the Hall of State
at Fair Park. The event was hosted by the Dallas
Historical Society. [event
PDF]
“Remembering Elmer Kelton, 1926-2009,” an
exhibit in Kelton's own words of the late
author’s books, promotional posters and
photos, is now showing at the
National Ranching Heritage Center in
Lubbock, Texas.
Kelton was voted by Western Writers of
America in 1995 as the best western writer
of all time. He died Aug. 22, 2009, in San
Angelo.
Congratulations to members featured in Print:
- Tom Alexander's book "Stanly Marcus: The Relentless Reign of a Merchant Prince"
- Dolores Mosser's children's book, "A Train Story," with illustrator Nathaniel P. Jensen
WTHA is sad to announce the passing of Elmer Kelton, one of the most noted writers of the southwest. His passing was covered in the San Angelo Standard-Times article entitled "Area Mourns Loss of Kelton." [newspaper obituary]
WTHA would also like to send its condolences to the family of Dr. Fred Rathjen. Following his passing away this weekend, his family requests that any memorials be made out to the Forman/Rathjen Scholarship at WTAMU. Donations can be made online at https://mercury.wtamu.edu/wtfoundation/ or by mail to WTAMU Foundation, WTAMU Box 60766, Canyon, Texas 79016 or by calling (806) 651-2070. [newspaper obituary; picture of Dr. Rathjen speaking at this year's TSHA meeting]
Honors, awards and achievements by our members:
- Congratulations to Sylvia G. Mahoney for receiving the 2009 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Alumna of the Year buckle at this year's 2009 College National Finals in Casper, Wyoming.
- Congratulations to Bruce Glasrud for receiving TSHA's Liz Carpenter Award for Best Scholarly Book on Texas Women's History. His book, Black Women in Texas History, was co-authored by Merline Pitre.
- Ken Untiedt has received tenure at Stephen F. Austin and has been promotion to the rank of associate professor.
-
Angelo State
University History professor Arnoldo De Léon
was one of two to be named as the university's first recipients of the
Texas Tech University System Chancellor's
Council Distinguished Teaching Award and
Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research
Award. Last year, De Leon was named as a
"Fellow" of the WTHA. [see photo to the right]
WTHA is sad to announce the passing of three of our members - Kenneth Jacobs, Lou Rodenberger, and Gerald Raun. More information on these distinguished folks can be found on our Remembrances page.
Older news on WTHA members can be found here.
Who Are We?
Caption:
Midland meeting, 2000
Our Association is active. Each year we hold a conference in a West Texas city. We visit, present papers, and exchange ideas and information. We publish a selection of papers in our annual Yearbook. Also, twice a year, we put out a newsletter highlighting people, places, and events throughout West Texas. In addition, the Association works cooperatively with other historical groups such as the East Texas Historical Association and the Texas Oral History Association.
Caption:
Former president Darlene Bellinghausen presides over a
session at the Midland meeting.
In addition, the WTHA promotes research and writing by giving cash awards. These include prizes for the best Year Book article, the best nonfiction and best fiction books on West Texas, and the best student article. The Association also provides research funds on a competitive basis.
Please
take time to look us over. Contact us if you would like to
attend our annual meeting, present a paper, preside over one
of the sessions, and submit one of your articles or books for
an award. If you are from West Texas, or if in your heart you
are a West Texan, we encourage you to become a member. Our
dues are inexpensive. Our journal is well-known,
and highly regarded. Our membership is international. And, the
hospitality is just right.
Tai Kreidler, Executive
Director
email:
tai.kreidler@ttu.edu
Throughout its long and
distinguished history, the WTHA has encompassed a wide range
of both professional and non-professional historians--from
lawyers and physicians to ranchers, business people, and
teachers. Although their interests vary, members share a
common desire to preserve the rich history of the West Texas
region for present and future generations.
Caption: Exhibits and silent auction at the 2000 Midland meeting.
P.O.
41041
Texas Tech
University
Lubbock, Texas
79409-1041
Ph. 806-742-9076 wthayb@ttu.edu
|
SUBMITTING ARTICLES For those planning to submit articles to the Yearbook, the Style Sheet Presentation has been added to the website. You can view it either in PowerPoint or html format. Also added is Dr. Carlson's presentation on Style Concerns. |
UPDATES
- Information on the 2010 ETHA and WTHA joint meeting is now available.
- The Spring 2009 Cyclone newsletter is available now, along with back issues.
- WTHA now has a page on Facebook. You will need to be a member to view the page.
- There are now 4 ways to search for articles in the Yearbook - by author, by title, by subject, and by volume.
This website, which is best viewed in Internet Explorer versions 6.0 or higher, was updated on 2-4-10.
FREEZE FRAME
At the Frontier Texas Museum, some members take a photo op by a buffalo sculpture. Pictured are H. Allen Anderson, Patricia Clark, ?, Robert Hall, Cheryl Lewis and Travis Roberts Jr.
Historians on the Road- Tai
Kreidler, unidentified friend, Clint Chambers, Bryan Edwards, Paul
Carlson, Harry Bob Martin, Jack Becker, and Robert Carr on the top of
Soldier Mound in Dickens City. Click on the image to see a larger
version.
Lewis Earl and friends.
PHOTOS FROM OUR MEMBERSHIP
A picturesque view of the bridge over White Woman Creek near Darrouzett, Texas, as captured by Bob Burton.
Colorful cactus plants thriving in Palo Duro Canyon is photographed by Robin Clark.
Who says there's no wildlife in suburbia? Holle Humphries shot this photo of a wild turkey on the garage roof of a neighbor's house in the Tech Terrace subdivision of Lubbock, Texas.