"Lone Star Historian 2" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas during his second year. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce.
During the course of more than three years as Texas State
Historian, it has been my great pleasure to participate in several events in
the “Exploring Texas Workshop Series.” This workshop series is organized by the
Texas State Historical Association, with the cooperation of the Region (4, in this
case) Education Service Center. These conferences are designed to provide course
content for fourth- and seventh-grade Texas history teachers. Each conference
usually lasts for two days, and participants receive professional development credit.
The credit certainly is earned, because an impressive lineup of presenters
provide excellent programs which feature course content in their fields of
expertise.
 |
| Exhibit room |
Steve Cure, Chief Operating Officer of the TSHA, was a founding
father of this worship series. He is ably assisted in organizing each event by
Charles Nugent, a longtime teacher who now is Adult Program Officer of the TSHA,
and who is responsible for a myriad of details for each conference. Caitlyn
McColl, TSHA Education Program Manager, also has been extremely busy with arrangements.
The stellar list of presenters they lined up for this conference in Houston
included: Dr. Stephen Hardin, noted author and professor at McMurry University;
Denton Florian, Executive Producer of the superb documentary,
Sam Houston, American Statesman, Soldier,
and Pioneer; Andrew Gustafson, Curator of the Bryan Museum in Galveston;
Buck Cole of the Texas General Land Office Archives; Dr. Carolina Castillo
Crimm of Sam Houston State University; and a score of other equally impressive experts.
 |
| Steve Cure and Charles Nugent |
There was a TSHA Texas history teacher conference in Houston
last February, focusing on the twentieth century. I was invited to provide the
opening program, and I talked about the extraordinary roles of Texas during the
Second World War. For this November conference, the focus was on Texas in the nineteenth
century. Again I was privileged to deliver the opening address. I was allotted
90 minutes, and I chose the topic: “The Leadership Roles of Sam Houston.”
 |
| Teachers assemble just before my presentation. |
Houston was the greatest icon of nineteenth-century Texas.
“Old Sam Jacinto” was given the highest offices Texans could award: Commanding
General during the Texas Revolution; President of the Texas Republic - twice;
U.S. Senator for thirteen years; Governor of Texas (thereby becoming the only
man in history to serve as governor of two states). Before coming to Texas he
was a congressman from Tennessee, major general of the State Militia, and
governor of Tennessee, as well as a U.S. Army officer and combat hero of Horseshoe
Bend. Houston’s life and career were filled with drama and controversy and
great achievements.
I lectured about Sam Houston for more than three decades in
my Texas history classes at Panola College. I’ve traveled to the sites of his
life. I’ve written a book,
Sam Houston: A
Study in Leadership, that will be released early next spring. I’ve delivered
numerous programs about Houston or, to various ladies’ groups, his wife
Margaret. These programs have generally filled 30- to 45-minute time slots, but
at the Region 4 Teacher Conference I was allotted 90 minutes, and I had no problem
finding enough to say about Sam Houston. At the end of the session many of the teachers
offered kind comments, including several to the effect that they had learned things
that would be worked into their classrooms. I could receive no higher compliment.
During the course of more than three years as Texas State
Historian, it has been my great pleasure to participate in several events in
the “Exploring Texas Workshop Series.” This workshop series is organized by the
Texas State Historical Association, with the cooperation of the Region (4, in this
case) Education Service Center. These conferences are designed to provide course
content for fourth- and seventh-grade Texas history teachers. Each conference
usually lasts for two days, and participants receive professional development credit.
The credit certainly is earned, because an impressive lineup of presenters
provide excellent programs which feature course content in their fields of
expertise.
I lectured about Sam Houston for more than three decades in
my Texas history classes at Panola College. I’ve traveled to the sites of his
life. I’ve written a book, Sam Houston: A
Study in Leadership, that will be released early next spring. I’ve delivered
numerous programs about Houston or, to various ladies’ groups, his wife
Margaret. These programs have generally filled 30- to 45-minute time slots, but
at the Region 4 Teacher Conference I was allotted 90 minutes, and I had no problem
finding enough to say about Sam Houston. At the end of the session many of the teachers
offered kind comments, including several to the effect that they had learned things
that would be worked into their classrooms. I could receive no higher compliment.
No comments:
Post a Comment