TEXAS MUSEUM DIRECTORY
1985
Compiled and Published by the
Field and Museum Services Department
of the
Texas Historical Commission
Texas Historical Commission
P.O. Box 12276
Austin, TX 78711
TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) was created by the state legislature in 1953 to serve as the official state agency for historical preservation. During the first years of its existence, the Commission administered an aggressive program of surveying and marking historic sites. Subsequent legislation has broadened the activities and responsibilities of the agency to include different aspects of historical preservation, such as archeology, downtown revitalization, publications, work with county historical commissions and other nonprofit heritage groups, and museums.
The Field and Museum Services Department of the THC provides professional services to the more than 700 museums across Texas. The department assists in regional workshops, produces publications, provides on-site consultations, and maintains extensive reference files for museums. The Winedale Museum Seminar, a 10-day, intensive training session for museum professionals and volunteers, is cosponsored by the department. Another program of the department is the administration of a state-funded grants program for history museums. One museum—the Sam Rayburn House Museum in Bonham—is maintained and administered by the THC.
The Texas Historical Commission consists of 18 governor-appointed members who function as a board of directors, overseeing a staff of historians, archeologists, architects, museologists, and experts in related fields. Current Commission members are listed below.
George E. Christian, Austin, Chairman
Mrs. H.L. Long, Kilgore, Vice-chairman
Duncan E. Boeckman, Dallas, Secretary