Department of History

Frank de la Teja, Professor and Chair of the Department of History at Texas State University, was awarded the "Medalla de Acero al Mérito Histórico, Capitán Alonso de León, en el ámbito Internacional" (Captain Alonso de León Medal for Historical Merit, International Category) from the Historical, Geographical, and Statistical Society of Nuevo León. The medal is given in three categories each year to individuals at the international, national, and local levels who have made significant contributions to the study of Mexican history. Alonso de León was a seventeenth century explorer, governor, and author on the exploration of Nuevo León and what is today northeastern Mexico. The award was presented on May 23, 2009, at a ceremony in Monterrey, Nuevo León, marking the sixty-seventh anniversary of the Sociedad Nuevoleonesa de Historia, Geografía y Estadística.

Prof. Light Cummins, Guy M. Bryan, Jr., Professor of American History at Austin College in Sherman Texas was sworn in on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, as the second State Historian of Texas. He succeeds Department of History Chairman Dr. Frank de la Teja whose two year term inaugurated the position in May 2007.

Dr. Cummins earned a Bachelor of Education degree and a Master of Arts in History at what was then Southwest Texas State University, and went on to earn a Ph.D. in history from Tulane University in 1977. Soon after he joined the Department of History at Austin College, where he has taught and served a decade-long stint as chair since 1978.

A prolific writer on the early history of the region, with six scholarly books and textbooks on the history of Texas, Louisiana, the Lower Mississippi Valley, and the United States, Dr. Cummins has also published numerous journal articles and book chapters. The quality of his scholarship is evident in the large number of prizes, grants, and fellowships that he has received, including from the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Historical Association. He has also received recognition from the government of Spain and in 2007 Texas State honored him with an Alumni Achievement Award. He is a Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association and presently serves on its board of director.

Dr. Cummins’ interests in the history of Texas and its peoples extend well beyond his purely scholarly pursuits. He has worked on numerous projects with various public entities to promote the public’s better understanding of the state’s history and has worked to foster better history education for all Texans. For instance, he founded and co-directs the Austin College Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies, which includes a curricular major, administers a summer institute for high school students, sponsors collaborative student/faculty research projects, and provides student scholarships.
 

Kathy Faz, a graduate student in the Department of History working on her an M.A. with a concentration in Public History, has been selected to be one of fifteen mid-career and graduate students from among a national pool of candidates to participate in the 2009 Smithsonian Latino Center’s Latino Museum Studies Program. The four-week program includes panel sessions, lectures, workshops, and behind the scenes access to Smithsonian collections and was established to enhance leadership and professional excellence in the representation and interpretation of Latino history, art, and culture. Fellows in the program also have an opportunity to work with Smithsonian staff on designated projects and contribute to current exhibitions, programs, and research initiatives in progress at the institution. The fellowship includes travel and housing in the Washington D.C. area for the length of the program, which runs from July 12 to August 7, 2009.

James E. McWilliams, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History at Texas State University-San Marcos and an Associate Fellow in the Program in Agrarian Studies at Yale University, is the 2009 recipient of the $50,000 Hiett Prize in the Humanities from The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. The award, which recognizes an emerging leader in the humanities, will be presented at The Dallas Institute’s 2009 Hiett Prize Gala on Tuesday, April 28, at the Dallas Museum of Art. Stephen Sondheim, award-winning composer and lyricist, will deliver the keynote address.

The Hiett Prize is among the nation’s most prestigious honors in the humanities. The $50,000 annual award was created by The Dallas Institute in 2004 in collaboration with philanthropist Kim Hiett Jordan to recognize a person in the early stages of a career “whose work promises to advance the way we think and live.”

Dr. McWilliams focuses on American history, specializing in environmental, agricultural, and economic history. His books include “A Revolution in Eating: How the Quest for Food Shaped America,” “Building the Bay Colony: Economy and Society in Early Massachusetts,” and “American Pests: The Losing War on Insects from Colonial Times to DDT.” In addition to writing academic books, McWilliams publishes frequently in the popular press, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and USA Today, and is a contributing writer at The Texas Observer. He is currently at work on a book tentatively titled, “Just Food: How Locavores Endanger the Future of Food and How We Truly Eat Ethically,” due out this summer. This project explores the viability of achieving a sustainable global diet for a world population expected to reach 8.9 billion by 2050.

In 2001, Dr. McWilliams won the Whitehall Prize in Colonial History, and in 2004 was honored with an AltWeekly Award for arts criticism from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Georgetown University (1991), a Master of Education from Harvard University (1994), a Master of Arts in American Studies from The University of Texas at Austin (1996), and a doctorate in history from The Johns Hopkins University (2001). He lives in Austin with his wife, Leila Kempner, and two children.

“James McWilliams is an excellent representative of the Hiett Prize’s purpose, which is to recognize and reward distinctive work in the humanities that exhibits both the highest levels of scholarship and relevance to the lived world,” said J. Larry Allums Ph.D., executive director of The Dallas Institute.

The selection process for the winner is a rigorous six-month procedure. Applicants from across the U.S. are initially screened, undergo a second round of evaluation and elimination, and are judged ultimately by a panel of eminent humanities professionals in a third and final stage. Finalist judges for the 2009 Hiett Prize were: Mary Ann Caws, Comparative Literature, The City University of New York; Marjorie Garber, English and Visual and Environmental Studies, Harvard University; and Sir Neil MacCormick, Jurisprudence, University of Edinburgh.

Caws is Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature, English, and French at the Graduate School of The City University of New York. Her many areas of interest in twentieth-century avant-garde literature and art include Surrealism, poets René Char and André Breton, Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury group, and artists Robert Motherwell, Joseph Cornell, and Pablo Picasso. Conceptually, one of her primary themes has been the relationship between image and text.

Garber is William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of English and of Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University, where she is also Chair of the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies and Director of the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts. She is senior Trustee of the English Institute, a member of the Board of Directors of the American Council of Learned Societies, and served until recently as the President of the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes.

MacCormick is Professor Emeritus of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations in the University of Edinburgh. He was Regius Professor of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations 1972-2008; Leverhulme Research Professor 1997-1999, and since 2004; Dean of Law Faculty, 1973-1976, 1985-1988; MEP for Scotland 1999-2004; Fellow and Tutor in Jurisprudence, Balliol College Oxford 1967-1972; and Lecturer in Jurisprudence, St. Andrews University (Queen's College Dundee) 1965-1967.

Finalists for the 2009 Hiett Prize were Mark Oppenheimer and Tillman Nechtman. Oppenheimer holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Yale University and has taught at Wellesley, Yale, New York University, Stanford, and other schools. He is author of “Thirteen and a Day: The Bar and Bat Mitzvah Across America” and “Knocking on Heaven's Door: American Religion in the Age of Counterculture.” He currently writes for Slate, The New York Times Magazine, and other publications. He is working on a book that seeks to answer the question “What makes a neighborhood work?” by applying urban studies principles to the block on which he and his family live in New Haven, Connecticut. Nectman received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and is currently Assistant Professor of History at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. In his present work, he emphasizes the “bigness of local history” by focusing on the Battles of Saratoga during the American Revolution as occurrences that upon investigation reveal the impact of the part upon the whole—events that highlight the ways in which local history has always been global history. His collaborative efforts with the National Park Service and the community of Saratoga Springs indicate his belief in building bridges between scholars and the communities in which they live.

ABOUT THE 2009 HIETT PRIZE GALA
Stephen Sondheim, award-winning composer and lyricist will deliver the keynote address at The Dallas Institute’s 2009 Hiett Prize Gala on Tuesday, April 28, at the Dallas Museum of Art. WFAA-TV/Channel 8 film critic Gary Cogill is master of ceremonies for the 2009 event. Hiett Gala chair is Laurie-Jo Straty. Honorary chair is Roger Horchow. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails in the Atrium; the keynote by Stephen Sondheim and presentation of the Hiett Prize are at 7 p.m. in Horchow Auditorium; and dinner under the stars follows at 8:15 p.m. in the Sculpture Garden. Sponsorship packages are available at the following levels: $20,000 Benefactor, $15,000 Underwriter, $10,000 Patron, and $5,000 Friend. For tickets and information, please call (214) 871-2440.

PREVIOUS EVENTS:
2005 Hiett Winner - Brad Gregory, Notre Dame University; Keynote Speaker - David McCullough

2006 Hiett Winner - Hilaire Kallendorf, Texas A&M University; Keynote Speaker - James Lehrer

2007 Hiett Winner - Tiya Alicia Miles, University of Michigan; Keynote Speaker - Ken Burns

2008 Hiett Winner - David Greenberg, Rutgers University; Keynote Speaker - David Mamet

ABOUT THE DALLAS INSTITUTE OF HUMANITIES AND CULTURE
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization with a 20-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders. Created in 1980, The Dallas Institute is a center for creative and intellectual exchange, providing enriching programs for the public that are grounded in the wisdom of the humanities, laying the foundation for Dallas to realize its full potential for cultural excellence. The Dallas Institute is located at 2719 Routh St., Dallas, Texas 75201. For information, call (214) 871-2440, or visit www.DallasInstitute.org. For media requests, contact Jessica Young at jyoung@fortepr.com or (214) 890-7912.
 

The Department of History and Phi Alpha Theta are pleased to be co-sponsoring “The Adventure of the Apollo Moon Landings,” a lecture given by General Charles Duke, Jr. (Ret) on Tuesday, April 7th at 6:30 pm in Flowers 341. General Duke is a retired astronaut who served as the lunar module pilot during the Apollo 16 mission in April 1972. He is also the author of the book, Moonwalker. The lecture is made possible by an award from the University Lecturers Committee. Light refreshments will be served after the lecture.

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Six Texas State students participated in the Collegiate Model Arab League exercise that took place at the University of St. Thomas last Friday, February 6, 2009. Organized by the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce, this is an annual event in which university students represent Arab states as they compete for individual and team awards in five categories: Joint Defense Council, Council on Palestinian Affairs, Council of Arab Social Affairs Ministers, Council on Political Affairs, and Council of Arab Environmental Affairs Ministers. In this picture (from right to left), History Professor Dr. Elizabeth Bishop, and students Jennifer Cooke, Corey Conant, Alexis Garcia, Jenevieve Hazel, and Andrew Nelson congratulate keynote speaker Ambassador Clovis Maksoud (Kristopher John Floyd is not pictured).

The Department of History, Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society, and the Hispanic Policy Network are pleased to be co-sponsoring “LBJ and the Felix Longoria Controversy: Loyalty, Patriotism, Honor, Courage, and Pragmatism,” a lecture given by Dr. Patrick Carroll on Monday, February 16th at 6:30 pm in Taylor Murphy 101. Dr. Carroll is professor of history at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, and his book, Felix Longoria’s Wake: Bereavement, Racism, and the Rise of Mexican American Activism, will be available for sale. A reception hosted by the Hispanic Policy Network will follow the lecture.

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The Public History Program, Department of History is pleased to be co-sponsoring the Texas Historical Commission (THC) Visionaries in Preservation Symposium Jan. 14-15 here in Taylor Murphy Hall. THC has arranged for News8 Austin to do live shots from the Taylor Murphy courtyard at 6 am on Wednesday morning.

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Graduating History M.A. student Roque Planas has been named a Senator Gregory Luna Fellow of the Texas Senate Hispanic Research Council. He will serve as a legislative aide for a Texas senator during the 81st session (January-May 2009).  His duties will include bill tracking and drafting legislative research summaries, constituent correspondence, floor statements, articles, and press releases.  Scholars and fellows in the program also design and implement a community service project. Roque recently completed his thesis, “The Politics of Crime, the Criminality of Politics: State Violence in Argentina, 1930-1938.” Soon after arriving in the History Graduate program here at Texas State he served as a research assistant on a video documentary project, “Mexican American Legislative Caucus: The Texas Struggle for Equality and Opportunity,” for which Drs. Jaime Chahin, Dean of the College of Applied Arts, and Frank de la Teja, Chairman of the Department of History, served as principal investigators. Roque spent this past summer in Argentina doing research for his thesis. Currently, Roque is applying to graduate programs in History and Journalism around the country.

The Center for Texas Music History in the History Department at Texas State University is pleased to announce the publication of the second book in its new series, The John and Robin Dickson Series in Texas Music, published in collaboration with Texas A&M University Press.

Texas Blues: The Rise of a Contemporary Sound, by noted Texas music historian Alan Govenar, is the most comprehensive study to date on the history of blues in the Southwest. Texas Blues presents a detailed discussion of the development of blues music in the Lone Star State, and it looks at both famous and not-so-famous Texas artists, including Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Eddie Durham, Big Mama Thornton, Victoria Spivey, T-Bone Walker, Janis Joplin, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Texas Blues also examines the ways in which the blues cross-pollinated with other ethnic musical genres in the Lone Star State, including jazz, conjunto, country, and zydeco, to help create new musical sub-genres that give Texas a unique and dynamic musical environment.

Texas Blues is available through Texas A&M University Press, at most major book stores, and through several online book vendors, including Amazon.com.

The John and Robin Dickson Series in Texas Music, which already has been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., is scheduled to publish a new book each year devoted to the study of Texas music history.

"Challenges of Democratization in North Africa and the Middle East" is the topic Dr. Abdelilah al-Abdi has chosen for his visit to Texas State University next week under the Fulbright Occasional Lecturer program. He will offer a public lecture at 6:30 p.m Wednesday, November 19, in Taylor Murphy 101. Originally from the Department of Political Science at Mohamed V University (Rabat, Morocco), since August, he has been scholar-in-residence specializing in Comparative Government and International Relations at Radford University in Radford VA. Sponsors for Professor al-Abdi's visit to TSU include the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars, the Provost's Office, and the Bilateral US Arab-Chamber of Commerce.

Congratulations to Dr. Jimmy McWilliams on the publication of American Pests: The Losing War on Insects from Colonial Times to DDT, which has just appeared from Columbia University Press. American Pests is Dr. McWilliam's third book and addresses a topic that, given recent environmental circumstances, is more than just a colorful story of often misguided efforts of well-intentioned people to conquor nature. The link to Columbia Press will also allow you to view a short video introduction to the bok by Dr. McWilliams.

In 2008 the university continued to recognize the outstanding teaching contributions of History faculty by naming Dr. Angela Murphy with the President’s Excellence in Teaching award at the lecturer/assistant professor level. Dr. Murphy, who holds the Ph.D. from the University of Houston, in only her second year at Texas State, has already demonstrated the qualities of a master teacher, engaging both undergraduate and graduate students with her rigorous but accessible style and earning their admiration. Dr. Murphy specializes in mid-nineteenth century social history and has developed new courses at the graduate level, including one on historical memory. For more information on Dr. Murphy, visit www.txstate.edu/history/people/murphy/index.htm.

The Smithsonian Institution has selected three books that the Center for Texas Music History was directly involved in producing for the upcoming exhibit on Texas history and culture at the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC, June 25 – July 6, 2008. The History of Texas Music, by CTMH director Gary Hartman, is the first in the Center's new John and Robin Dickson Series in Texas Music with Texas A&M University Press. The Handbook of Texas Music, produced by the Texas State Historical Association, contains the work of Texas State University students and faculty, who researched and wrote approximately one-third of the entries. Dr. Hartman wrote the first chapter of The Roots of Texas Music, edited by Lawrence Clayton and Joe W. Specht for Texas A&M University Press. For more information on the center, visit www.txstate.edu/ctmh.