2012 Annual Meeting

The Texas State Historical Association's 2012 Annual Meeting will be held March 1-3, 2012 at the Omni Houston Hotel in Houston, Texas, located at Four Riverway near the Galleria.

Pre-registration is closed.  Beginning Feb. 21, only onsite registration will be accepted.

Download a Registration Form to bring with you to the registration table at the meeting.

Accommodations are available at the Overflow hotel: Drury Inn & Suites Houston Galleria, 1615 West Loop South   Houston, TX 77027.  The Overflow hotel is about 2 miles from the Omni Houston Hotel.  Accommodations at the special rate of $120.00 per night are available through February 20, 2012.  To make reservations, book online, or call the hotel directly at (800) 325-0720 and use the group number: 2140354. There will not be a shuttle betwen the Drury and the Omni.  View driving directions and map from Drury Inn & Suites Houston Galleria to Omni Houston Hotel.

The Omni Houston Hotel offers three parking options with lower rates than published in the Annual Meeting Program:

• Valet Parking: $15.00 per day with unlimited in and out privileges
• Hotel Garage Self Parking: $7.00 per day with unlimited in and out privileges. Located across from Hotels front entrance.
• Complimentary Riverway Garage Parking: FREE, present ticket to concierge for validation, daily. (From the valet drive, turn right onto Riverway. Follow it until you see the parking garage on the right. Use the second entrance to the right. After parking, walk along the path to the hotel. Stay on the sidewalk and follow the path along the patio deck and through the double doors. Proceed up the ramp and turn left at the end of the walkway. The front desk is straight ahead.)
   

Chaired by John Miller Morris, the Program Committee has constructed an excellent meeting program with sessions on all aspects of Texas history, from before Spanish colonial rule though the 20th Century. Joint sessions with Texas historical societies and associations include the Texas Baptist Historical Collection, the Texas Oral History Association, the Texas Folklore Society, the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Society of Southwest Archivists. Ever-popular workshops on the Handbook of Texas, TSHA Publications, and TSHA Educational Programs will round out the sessions. Individuals, businesses and institutions are encouraged to become Annual Meeting Sponsors.  Beginning at just $500, sponsorships offer a wide variety of benefits and showcase the support of the Annual Meeting as a session, event, or general sponsor. 

The Local Arrangements Committee, co-chaired by Jan DeVault and Cary Wintz, has been planning meeting events with TSHA President Merline Pitre. They invite you to launch the festivities at noon on Thursday, March 1, with the Women in Texas History Luncheon and the presentation of the Liz Carpenter Award. On Thursday evening, the Presidential Reception will welcome Watson Arnold as the 2012–2013 TSHA President. The Reception will be held at the offices of Torch Energy Advisors, which exhibits the Torch Collection. Following the Reception, transport will be provided to the Keynote Address, returning to the hotel.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: All meeting attendees will be transported from the meeting hotel to Texas Southern University for a keynote address by Darlene Clark Hine, the Inaugural Director of African American History at Northwestern University.  With a grant from Humanities Texas, the Keynote Address is FREE and open to the public. Dr. Hine will speak on Civil Rights in Texas in the Sawyer Auditorium in Hannah Hall at Texas Southern University as she addresses "Rights of Citizenship: Black Texans and the White Primary Cases.” Her talk will be especially meaningful as many of the events she will describe occurred in Houston’s Third Ward, where TSU is situated. Merline Pitre has been instrumental in arranging the address by Dr. Hine and the venue at TSU.
 
Friday, March 2, begins with the Book Lovers’ and Texana Collectors’ Breakfast. At noon, the Fellows Luncheon and Presentation of Awards will recognize significant contributors to the study of Texas history. Following the afternoon sessions, the Graduate Student Mixer will gather graduate students and TSHA Fellows. Then, the Presidential Banquet will honor 2011–2012 President Merline Pitre and feature her presidential address.

Throughout the meeting, recent publications by  the leading publishers of Texas and Southwest history and rare books will be for sale in the exhibit hall. The Texana Auction will continue, with the Silent Auction offering Texana items for bidding March 1-2. With the help of Heritage Auction Galleries, the Live Auction will be held at 2:00 pm. on Saturday, March 3 at the Omni Houston Hotel.

After the sessions end at noon on Saturday, March 3, conclude the meeting with one of three optional tours of Houston.

• San Jacinto Tour: Jeffrey Dunn and Gregg Dimmick will guide an extensive tour of the San Jacinto Battleground to better understand the Battle of San Jacinto and will conclude with a visit to the San Jacinto Monument.
• African American Tour of Houston: Visit the Gregory School; Texas Southern University for the Biggers Collection of murals, the Barbara Jordan Archives, and the Thurgood Marshall Law Library; and Project Row Houses.
• Houston City Tour: Visit Glenwood Cemetery and Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, for a docent-guided tour of Ima Hogg's home, its exceptional furnishings and collections, and Bayou Bend's Gardens.

The Annual Meeting Program has been mailed to members. It is posted above. Click on  Program PDF in the left menu bar at the top of the page. For more information, please call (940) 369-5200.