Around the Courtyard

Dr. McWilliams Recognized For Essay

Dr. Jimmy McWilliams’s essay, “The Thousand Souths of Frank Stanford,” has been recognized as one of the best essays on the US South. You can read his essay at Salvation South. 

Broadcast Premiere of Armadillo Man: The Trips of Jim Franklin

Armadillo Man, a new half-hour documentary on Austin visual artist Jim Franklin, will have its broadcast premiere on Austin's PBS station December 11th at 8:00 pm, following its screen premiere at the Austin Film Festival earlier in the fall. Center for Texas Music History Director Jason Mellard is a featured voice alongside Jim himself, poster artist Billie Buck, museum director Leea Mechling, musician Nakia Reynoso, and others.

Dr. Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez Published in Cuadernos de Historia Moderna

Congratulations to Dr. Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez on the publication of his latest article, “El cautiverio en las relaciones hispano-comanches, 1700-1821.” Cuadernos de Historia Moderna 50, 2 (2025): 465-483.  This is part of a special issue about captivity on the frontiers of the Hispanic Monarchy. 

Congratulations to our REP Winners! 

Join us in congratulating the History Department's REP winners who won two of the eight Liberal Arts REP grants!

• Dr. Jose Carlos de la Puente (with Dr. Louie Dean Valencia) for a digital history project called "The Sondondo Valley: Population and Territory in Andean Rural History" and 
• Dr. Ruby Oram for her book project "Virtue on Patrol: Women, Alcohol, and the American Carceral State, 1873 - 1933."

History Department Lecturer Earns Ph.D.

Congratulating to History Department lecturer, Ron Davis, on the completion of his Ph.D. dissertation, “‘They Made Me the Best Bronc Rider in the Country, but They Weren't Trying to Make Me a Rider’: Enslaved and Free Black Cowboys in Texas and the U.S. South, 1840-1885.”

Ron earned the Ph.D. from UT Austin. His committee included Dr. Talitha LeFlouria, co-chair, Dr. Daina Ramey Berry, co-chair, Dr. Peniel Joseph, Dr. Robert Olwell.

Ron completed the dissertation while working as a full-time museum professional in San Antonio and teaching HIST 2381, African American History to 1877, to rave reviews from his students and colleagues. We are lucky to have him working with TXST students.

Dr. McWilliams' New Book Named as One of Best Nonfiction Books of the Year

Congratulations to Dr. Jimmy McWilliams on having his book, The Life and Poetry of Frank Stafford, named by Kirkus as one of the best nonfiction books of the year! The full list can be found on the Kirkus Reviews website. 

Free Virtual Talk on Dr. Oram's New Book, Home Work, Thursday December 4th!

Dr. Ruby Oram will be giving a (free) Zoom talk on her new book on Thursday December 4th at 7pm through the Chicago History Museum’s Urban History Seminar.

This book talk explores how Progressive Era reformers like Jane Addams used public education to police the labor lives of working-class girls in industrial cities. Drawing from her forthcoming book, Home Work: Gender, Child Labor, and Education for Girls in Urban America, 1870–1930, Oram highlights how reforming girls’ education cemented inequalities of gender, race, and class in city public schools.

Thursday December 4, 2025 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm 
Chicago History Museum, Free and Virtual 
Registration required

New Book Announcement - Home Work by Dr. Ruby Oram

Congratulations to Dr. Ruby Oram whose book, Home Work: Gender, Child Labor, and Education for Girls in Urban America, was published by University of Chicago Press this month.

New Books Conversation Series | Poverty Rebels

Join the History Department as Dr. Casey Nichols discusses her new book, Poverty Rebels: Black and Brown Protest in Post-Civil Rights America, with Dr. Abigail Rosas, Associate Professor of Chicano and Latino Studies at California State University, Long Beach.

Date | Wednesday, November 19, 2025       
Time | 4:30 pm        
Location | Online via Zoom

Registration Closed 

The Power of a Liberal Arts Degree

The College of Liberal Arts is hosting Myric Polhemus, VP for Talent Acquisition at HEB, who will be giving a talk about “The Power of a Liberal Arts Degree” for our students.  Myric is an alum of the College of Liberal Arts and is interested in working with our students to help them translate the value of their liberal arts degrees to potential employers of all kinds. 

Date/Time: November 20, 2025 from 3:30 to 5:00.          
Location: Flowers Hall 230

"Memento Mori: Mourning Rituals in 19th Century America." 

Invited Halloween talk for Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society

PAT All Hallow’s Eve Celebration        
Dr. Shannon E. Duffy        
Thurs., Oct. 30, 5:30-7:30 PM        
Comal 201

Dr. Joshua Paddison interviewed on A Little Bit Culty pocast

Congratulations to Dr. Joshua Paddison was interviewed by the A Little Bit Culty podcast about his new book, Unholy Sensations: A Story of Sex, Scandal, and California's First Cult Scare.

Poets and Dreamers: My Life in Americana Music

Please join The Center for Texas Music History as they welcome Tamara Saviano to Texas State to discuss her new book, Poets and Dreamers: My Life in Americana Music – the first book in our newly named Gary Hartman Series in Texas Music with Texas A&M Press. Spanning more than three decades, Saviano unfolds the story of Americana — country music’s bohemian cousin — from her unique perspectives as a journalist, historian, Grammy-winning music producer, filmmaker, and artist emissary.

Date | Sunday, November 2, 2025            
Time | 2:00 pm            
Location | The Wittliff Collections

Dr. Rivaya-Martinez published in La Historia Militar y la Sociedad

Congratulations to Dr. Joaquín Rivaya-Martinez on his latest publication. "Divulgar la historia militar del lejano septentrión novohispano: desafíos y oportunidades" appears in La historia militar y la sociedad, edited by Alberto Guerrero Martín and Víctor García González, 63-75. Madrid: Ministerio de Defensa, Doce Calles, 2025. 

Jo Snider Launches New Podcast

Congratulations to our own, Jo Snider, who has been working on a new podcast, “Lone Star Lore.” New episodes will go up the first Sunday of each month starting in November. You can learn more about the project on the Lone Star Lore website. In the first episode, “Texas: The Land,” hosts Matthew Thornton and Joleene Maddox Snider will talk with Loyola University Chicago historian (and friend of our department) Dr. Benjamin Johnson. Subsequent guests with include Frank DeLaTeja and Margaret Vavarek, and more names that will sound familiar.

Study In America Summer II 2026: "Philadelphia@250"

Philadelphia@250 is a Study in America program which will run Sum II 2026. Our program will offer three courses of upper-level history credit—Colonial America (HIST 3363), the Revolution (HIST 4365), and “Witches, Murderers & Thieves: Capital Crime in Early America” (HIST3368B/HONS 2306D). The Capital Crime course can sub for HIST 1310. Students can enroll in up to 6 hours of associated SIA coursework. 

The three classes will meet on Zoom over Sum II (June 30-July 31). July 19-25, we will travel to Philadelphia, and visit an array of museums and historical sites, including Independence Hall, the Museum of the American Revolution, Liberty Bell, and the Eastern State Penitentiary. 

The program fee is $2,090, plus the tuition, and includes lodging and all museum and tour fees; it is financial aid eligible. Our application deadline is Feb. 1, 2026, and there is no fee to apply. 

Visit the International Affairs website for more information. 

Dr. Shannon Duffy Presented at the National Constitution Center Workshop

Dr. Shannon Duffy presented a talk titled: “Women’s Experiences in Revolutionary Philadelphia” at the National Constitution Center Workshop on October 3, 2025.  The talk was part of the Bullock Museum Educators’ Workshop, “America250,” sponsored by the National Constitution Center and held at the Bullock Museum.  

Dr. Casey Nichols to Give Talk at LBJ Museum

Dr. Casey Nichols will be giving a talk at the LBJ Museum on the square in San Marcos on October 23. There will be a reception at 6 pm and the talk begins at 6:30. Registration is available here on the LBJ Museum website.  

Title | How Everyday People, Politicians, and Activists Waged the War on Poverty               
Date/Time | Thursday, October 23, 2025 | 6:00 pm              
Location | LBJ Museum 

A Conversation on Hope and Justice with Randal Maurice Jelks

Please join us on October 16, at 7:30, in the Alkek Teaching Theater for a program to celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month. Dr. Randal Jelks, the Ruth N. Halls Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, will be speaking on his most recent book, Letters to Martin: Meditations on Democracy in Black America. 

Date/Time | Thursday, October 16, 2025 | 7:30 pm                
Location | Alkek Teaching Theater 

Dr. José Carlos de la Puenta Receives Honorable Mention for Paul Vanderwood Prize

Congratulations to Dr. José Carlos de la Puente on having his article receive an Honorable Mention for the Paul Vanderwood Prize, offered by the Conference of Latin American History to “the best article on any significant aspect of Latin American history written in English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish and published in a journal other than the Hispanic American Historical Review or The Americas.” 

Dr. Shannon Duffy Speaking at Bullock Texas State History Museum

Dr. Shannon Duffy is giving an invited Talk at Bullock Texas State History Museum titled: “Women's Experiences in Revolutionary Philadelphia”. The talk will be an hour-long and given to about 50-100 K-12 educators Saturday, October 4, 2025. The event is sponsored by the National Constitutional Center, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Dr. Shannon Duffy's Article Published in New Book

Congratulations to Dr. Shannon Duffy's whose recent article on the Revolutionary Crisis in Philadelphia will be published in the upcoming book, Greater Philadelphia: A New History for the Twenty-First Century, which brings to the public an up-to-date, diverse history of Philadelphia across its many dimensions.

Sounds in Motion: Black and Brown Musical Collaborations in Texas

Join us Thursday, October 16 at 5:00 pm in Brazos Hall for a presentation from Dr. Marco Cervantes, professor in the Mexican American Studies program at UTSA and performing hip-hop artist, also known as MexStep. Dr. Cervantes will explore examples of Black and Brown musical collaborations in Texas within the genres of soul and hip hop. Through personal narrative and song analysis, he will prove how these collaborations can foster deeper conversations about Black and Brown solidarity and love. 

Dr. Allison Robinson Selected For Alumni Association Teaching Award of Honor

Congratulations to Dr. Allison Robinson on being selected as the recipient of the Alumni Association Teaching Award of Honor.

As the Alumni Association explains, “In the spirit of our roots as a teacher’s college, this award celebrates the lasting impact that outstanding faculty make in the classroom and in the lives of their students. What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it is selected by alumni serving on the Alumni Association Board of Directors—those who carry forward the student perspective into lifelong engagement with the university.” 

Landman co-creator and TXST Alum Returns to Campus

Christian Wallace is a screenwriter and journalist from West Texas. He co-created the hit Paramount+ series Landman, inspired by his chart-topping podcast Boomtown. 

A former senior editor at Texas Monthly, he graduated with degrees in History and English in the Honors College at Texas State.

From Boomtown to Landman: Stories from West Texas                 
Friday, October 10, 2025 | 2:00 pm                 
The Wittliff Collections, 7th Floor, Alkek Library

Dr. Angie Murphy Publishes New Article In The Journal of the Early Republic

Congratulations to Dr. Angie Murphy on the publication of her article, “Politicizing the Home: The Loguen Family’s Underground Railroad,” in The Journal of the Early Republic.  As a bonus, there is also companion piece in the journal’s online magazine, the Panorama. 

Dr. Joshua Paddison's New Book Featured in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Dr. Joshua Paddison's new book Unholy Sensations: A Story of Sex, Scandal, and California's First Cult Scare was the focus of an article in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Dr. Leah Renold Wins Faculty Member of the Year in International Studies

Congratulations to Dr. Leah Renold who has been named Faculty of the Year, by The Center for International Studies at Texas State!

Dr. Jimmy McWilliams Book Talk at First Light Books | September 3

Please join First Light Books for a night celebrating The Life and Poetry of Frank Stanford with author James McWilliams.

The event will begin with an author reception from 6–6:30 p.m., followed by a conversation about Stanford and the new biography. Tickets include a copy of the book and a reserved seat. Unreserved seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Free RSVPs are also encouraged.

The book also has a new review by Southwest Review. 

TX State Alum Publishes Article in The Nation

Texas State History Department Alum and Rutgers PhD Candidate Ánh Adams published a timely article in The Nation.

Remembering Dr. Kenneth Margerison

The Department of History is deeply saddened to share that Dr. Kenneth Margerison, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and former department chair, passed away peacefully on September 8. Dr. Margerison will greatly missed. No one was more committed to building this thriving community of historians. He and his dedication will remain an inspiration and foundation for us as we continue to work together. A service is tentatively scheduled for September 27. Additional information will be shared when it is available. Our sincere condolences to all who knew Ken.

A memorial service will be held September 27 at 2:00 p. m. in Flowers Hall Room 230 on the Texas State University campus.  Free parking is available at the Pleasant Street Garage.

Dr. Margerison's obituary can be found on his Memorial Page. 

Ethnohistory Conference Registration

The department of history is co-sponsoring the Ethnohistory conference, October 9-11, in San Antonio. The preliminary program can be found on the Conference Website. Congratulations to Dr. José Carlos de la Puente, who has taken the lead on this for the department.                     

Registration for our students is free, so please spread the word! 

History Department Alumnus Offered Job at Texas A&M Kingsville

Congratulations to History Department alumnus, Peter Sutherland, who recently earned his PhD at the University of North Texas, and has now taken a position at Texas A&M Kingsville. 

English Translation of Dr. de la Puente's Macchu Picchu Children's Book Now Available

Congratulations to Dr. José Carlos de la Puente, whose English translation of his Machu Picchu children’s book is now available at your favorite online booksellers. 

Dr. McWilliams Publishes New Book

Congratulations to Dr. Jimmy McWilliams on the publication of his latest book, The Life and Poetry of Frank Stanford, which has been published by the University of Arkansas Press. The book has been well received, with the latest review in Poetry.

Dr. Casey Nichols Interviewed on Institute for Research on Poverty's podcast

Dr. Casey recently joined the Institute for Research on Poverty's official podcast to discuss her recent book, Poverty Rebels: Black and Brown Protest in Post-Civil Rights America. 

Dr. Adam Clark Wins Outstanding Dissertation Award

Congratulations to History Department staff member, Dr. Adam Clark, who has won the Graduate College’s Outstanding Dissertation Award, for his dissertation, “The Role of Cartography and Visualization in Hazard Risk Communication: An Examination of the Houston Chronicle, 1945 to 2020.” Visit the Texas State Newsroom more information about his accomplishment. 

Madelyn Patlan Earns MA and Accepts Program Coordinator Position

Congratulations to History Department staff member, Madelyn Patlan, who graduated this summer with her MA in Public History Program! Following graduation, Madelyn has agreed to become our first departmental Program Coordinator where she will advise undergraduate students, assist with our scholarship program, and provide additional support to our degree programs.