Part of the mission of the Alliance for Texas History is to help ensure that a complete history of Texas is available and accessible. We find these citations pertinent and instructive. The latest additions will be at the top. Some articles may be behind a paywall but are included due to their newsworthiness.

Articles from previous years can be found on the menu bar.

Please take note of the kinds of articles we are interested in covering and email us with your suggestions for news about history.

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, Apr 6, 2026
Governor Abbott has announced to reappointments and one new appointment to the Advisor Committee of the 1836 Project.

Don Frazier of Shreiner University will continue to serve as chair. Greg Sindelar of the Texas Public Policy Foundation is also reappointed through September 2027.

Ernesto Rodriguez III is a new appointee and is the senior curator for the Alamo Trust.

NORTH TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Apr, 2, 2026

Dr. Melissa Fulgham and colleague, Dr. Andrew Yox, both of North Texas Community College, have been awarded the 2026 Leadership in Education Award by the TSHA.

Anyone who knows Melissa has seen evidence of her commitment to history education and to mentoring her students. She and her students actively participate in professional conferences and have been recognized for their contributions.

Dr. Yox has directed the college’s honors program since 2007. Each year the program produces an original film in Texas History.

Our congratulations to each of them.

FORT WORTH REPORT, Apr 1, 2026
The engagement of indigenous speakers in using their language as a “code” during wartime is most often connected to the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II. The practice originated, however, with Choctaw Code Talkers who trained at Camp Bowie in Fort Worth during World War I.

A new Texas historical marker is now dedicated to keeping their story alive. Descendants of the 19 Choctaw soldiers have worked diligently to keep their history from being lost.

(Photo by Christine Vo, Fort Worth Report. See also press release from Texas Historical Commission).

FANGRAPHS, Mar 16, 2026
A website dedicated to baseball metrics is not the typical place to expect historical insight. However, this recent article about the installation of a discredited statue of a Texas Ranger . . . the policing kind . . . provides background on the history of the sculpture.

The article not only reviews the history of the statue, recently installed at the Texas Rangers baseball stadium, and its removal from Love Field, it covers the man on whom it was reportedly modeled, and the lack of acknowledgement for acts of violence and racism.

The author notes that “no one can force the ballclub to explain why a statue so objectionable that it spent six years in storage is now an appropriate addition to Globe Life Field.”
(Thanks to Refusing to Forget for the link.)

TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO, Mar 9, 2026
ATxH Editorial Board member and Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas, Joseph Locke, has published a work that examines religion across centuries of Texas history. Building on his previous research, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, looks at the development and influence of religion in the state from the time of early rock paintings to the present.

This 30-minute interview by David Martin Davies covers topics of interest to historians and those focused on the current influence of religion on politics. To learn more visit www.josephllocke.com.

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, Mar 5, 2026
ATxH member, Marise McDermott, long-time president of the Witte Museum, will join The Wittliff Collections as their new executive director.

During 20 years at the Witte, McDermott helped create state-of-the-art exhibitions, multidisciplinary programming and immersive experiences rooted in the stories of land, sky, water and the deep history of Texas.” She has been active in helping set national standards for museum excellence and accreditation.

Alliance for Texas History vice president and W.K. Gordon Chair and Associate Professor of History, Dr. Deborah M. Liles, is the recipient of the Mary John and J.P. Bryan Leadership in Education Award. The annual award recognizes two outstanding history educators, one each at the K-12 and college levels.

Dr. Liles is a fellow of the East Texas Historical Association and the West Texas Historical Association, and a board member of the Friends of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. She has appeared in documentaries for American, French, and British productions. She is the author or co-editor of five books and has authored numerous articles about Texas history.

At Tarleton, her students have participated in community projects, including writing a book using archival resources from the W.K Gordon Industrial Museum, and visiting the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the General Land Office to see original documents.

TEXAS TRIBUNE, Feb 19, 2026
A policy approved by the UT System Board of Regents requires that any courses that include “controversial issues” must take a “broad and balanced approach.” Neither of those terms are defined, leaving a fear of either self-censorship or reprisal.

The board chair acknowledged that the policy pays attention to the political environment but claims that in difficult times “vagueness can be our friend. Many worry that avoiding subjects that may be public relations hotspots will be a disservice to students. (Photo by Tobias Hüske on Unsplash)

TEXAS INSTITUTE OF LETTERS, Feb 12, 2026
Of the 24 new members of the Texas Institute of Letters, three are Texas historians and all three are part of the Alliance for Texas History. Carlos Blanton serves as a member of the board of directors. Rebecca Sharpless is co-editor of the Journal of Texas History, and Char Miller is a member of that Editorial Board. Congratulations to these incredible scholars and historians.

Click here for a complete list of members of TIL Click below to read the full press release.

TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, Jan 28, 2026
Chris Elliott has been promoted to oversee all of the historic sites managed by the THC. He joined THC in 2008.

“He brings more than 25 years of experience in museum, historical interpretation, and historic site operations to the post, having started as a tour guide at the National Museum of the Pacific War,” according to the press release.

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, Jan 30, 2026
In a follow up to an earlier post on December 30, this article updates action taken by the State Board of Education regarding K-12 instruction in history and other studies.

Question about the detail and volume of the topics required were voiced by several attendee. The lack of attention to “content on the history and culture of Black Americans and other people of color” was noted.

The article cites comments by Don Frazier and Kate Rogers, both content advisers to the state board. (Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash)

SAN ANTONIO NEWS-EXPRESS, Jan 28, 2026
Eighteen months after being demolished to make way for a downtown sports arena, the Institute of Texan Cultures is set to reopen at a new location.

Though smaller than the iconic HemisFair building, their new home will continue to celebrate the multicultural history of the state.

Institute director, Monica Perales, calls the new space fresh but familiar, with the ITC’s commitment to telling the stories of all Texan cultures.unchanged.

TEXAS MONTHLY, Jan 27, 2026
A Texas Monthly article about the $54 million dollar renovation to the Star of the Republic Museum offers a glimpse at historic artifacts that bring people to life. Amanda Cagle, who oversees collections, explains that “every dress is like a fingerprint” telling a story about the person who wore it.

In a museum full of hard artifacts and documents that focus on Texas’ time as a republic, Cagle makes sure we hear the stories of the people of that era. (Image from Texas Historical Commission)

NEW YORK TIMES, Jan 23, 2026
Acting on an executive order to review all national park signage, NPS staff were forced to remove an exhibit at Independence National Park in Philadelphia. This was done in the name of a “patriotic education” trend also seen in Texas. This “more positive view” of history is said to ensure “accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values.”

A group called Save Our Signs has organized to push back against the removal of documented history from national parks by methodically documenting what is found there now. A similar effort is underway by Citizen Historians for the Smithsonian. (PHOTO: Matt Rourke / AP Photo)

TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO, Jan 16, 2026
Sam Haynes, along with colleagues, students, and staff at UT-A, have produced a data-driven map illustrating the breadth of violent acts in the 19th century. Texas in Turmoil: Mapping Interethnic Violence, 1821-79, is a GIS-based tool that provides links to additional research-based information.

“We’re not changing the narrative because of the diversity of Texas now -- we’re changing the narrative because of the diversity of Texas then,” Hayne said. “It was always diverse and there was always interethnic and interracial conflict.”

TEXAS TRIBUNE, Jan 8, 2026
The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum on the campus of West Texas A&M University occupies a space that has become financially impossible o sustain. With over 2 million historical artifacts, the scope and scale of he collection rivals any in the state. Local supporters have until February 1st to offer a plan for how artifacts will be transferred to a new location (Photo from www.visitamarillo.com)