Lone Star Historian 2: WTHA, 2014

"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.

Thursday dinner

On April 4, 5 and 6 in Odessa, the West Texas Historical Association staged its 91st Annual Meeting. The WTHA event headquartered at Odessa's MCM Grande Hotel, which boasted spacious facilities and excellent food. Robert Hall, longtime chairman of the arrangements committee, skillfully managed field trips, meeting rooms, banquets, and countless minor details. Troy Ainsworth, program chair, and his committee members provided a rich variety of fascinating and entertaining presentations. President J. Tillapaugh, who makes his home in Odessa, and WTHA Executive Director Tai Kreidler coordinated details large and small, and spearheaded an outstanding event.

J. Tillapaugh presides over board meeting

TCU doctoral student Kendra DeHart presenting on Friday

The 2014 Meeting attracted 160 participants, the second-highest attendance total in 91 years. An "Early Bird" field trip was sponsored by the Permian Historical Society and conducted by the society's president, Peggy Kelton. On Thursday morning 49 WTHA early birds piled onto a bus and drove southwest to the historic Horsehead Crossing of the Pecos River. This expedition proceeded on to the Girvin school house, enjoying a Cowboy Lunch prepared in Dutch Ovens - cowboy stew, biscuits, cornbread, cobbler, coffee and tea. Returning through McCamey and Crane, the bus stopped at the Mendoza Trail Museum and Crane's Museum of the Desert Southwest. On Thursday evening the field trip veterans, along with those who had arrived during the day, feasted on an early-welcome dinner at the hotel. Thursday's activities concluded with a board meeting.

Vendors

On Friday 16 sessions provided two panels and more than 40 program presentations delivered by excellent researchers who offered the latest findings and fascinating insights. At mid-day the WTHA's first-ever Women's Luncheon brought together 60 women and men (who comprised one-quarter of the crowd). Marisue Potts, immediate past president of the WTHA, chaired the meeting, and asked everyone present to stand, introduce herself (or himself) and tell of our areas of interest in women's history. The Friday evening dinner was held at Midland's Petroleum Museum, a superb facility that we were permitted to tour after hours. There were 116 of us at dinner, and I was privileged to deliver the keynote address. I had been asked to discuss "Grassroots Historians" I had encountered during my tenure as State Historian. My wife Karon helped me prepare a power point presentation illustrating my travels, and the audience was most receptive.

Texas Ranger panel: Chuck Parsons, Harold Weiss,
and Donaly Brice at podium

Saturday morning brought 15 more programs, again of excellent quality. At Saturday's Awards and Business Lunch, the Rupert Richardson Book Award went to Bruce Glasrud and Robert J. Mallouf for Big Bend's Ancient and Modern Past, published by Texas A&M Press. The Elmer Kelton Best Fiction Award was presented to Patrick Dearen for To Hell on the Pecos - A Novel. The R.C. Crane Heritage Award was granted to the Fort Lancaster Foundation and to the Armstrong County Historical Commission, which restored the Charles Goodnight home and opened a visitor center. Other presentations included research grants and article and essay awards. Allen Anderson and Jim Matthews were announced as new fellows of the WTHA. Diana Hinton of Midland was voted vice-president, and I was elevated to the presidency.

Ann Dixon in costume reading a letter from an
officer's wife at Fort Lancaster in 1857

During his presidential address, "The Celebration of Public History," J. Tillapaugh stated his definition and enthusiastic support of Public History. In a surprise announcement, Dr. Tillapaugh revealed the creation of the "Tillapaugh Public History Fund" through the Permian Basin Area Foundation. His generosity elicited a lengthy standing ovation from a most appreciative crowd. I attempted to express the gratitude of the WTHA to the outgoing president, after which I announced next year's meeting in Amarillo, on April 9 , 10 and 11, 2015. As we adjourned, 28 members boarded a bus for a tour of historic sites of Odessa.