Webb Historical Society

The Walter Prescott Webb Historical Society

The Walter Prescott Webb Historical Society works through college and university history departments to encourage students to discover, research, write, and publish the history of Texas as they find it where they live. Founded in 1971 and named for the distinguished UT historian who served as Director of the Association from 1939-1946, the program provides the organizational framework for developing comparable learning projects and activities across campuses at the college and university level. Local, community, and regional history comprise the focal point of chapter activities.

Student members of the Webb Society are eligible to apply for publication and to compete for the Caldwell Memorial Award, the annual competition for Webb students researching a topic in Texas history. The professional-quality results of their published projects are reflected in Touchstone, the journal of the Webb Society published each year since 1982. A cumulative index for Volumes I - XXV is now available.

The Society assembles twice a year for organizational and learning purposes. At the TSHA annual meeting each March, the Webb Society convenes to hear presentations by professional historians and by the winners of the Caldwell Memorial Awards. Students and sponsors meet each fall semester at a historic location for on-site learning and to share their experiences of the past year's work. In contrast to the Annual Meeting, which is usually held in a major city, the fall meeting is held in a smaller city that is located in an area of historical significance to students of Texas history.

For more information, please contact the
Educational Services Division.