A state lawmaker is demanding university officials decline to renew the contract of the current chief historian of the Texas State Historical Association because of the academic’s alleged denigration of Texas history.
“Today I asked UT to replace the holdover [TSHA] Chief Historian, who has repeatedly marginalized and denigrated our heroic Alamo history and the Texian fight for independence,” tweeted Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston). “All Texans deserve a TSHA Chief Historian that promotes Texas history and the exceptionalism of this great state.”
In a letter Middleton sent to Ann Huff Stevens, dean of the University of Texas at Austin’s College of Liberal Arts, the lawmaker wrote, “It has come to my attention that the Texas State Historical Association’s contract with Chief Historian, Walter Buenger, has expired. I respectfully ask that you not renew his contract.”
Buenger was jointly appointed by the university and TSHA, Texas Monthly reported.
“As a historian, the TSHA Chief Historian should be actively promoting Texas history and encouraging student engagement with our State’s rich history in a way that does not try to re-write it,” Middleton wrote, claiming that Buenger casts Texas history in a negative light and referred to the “Remember the Alamo” battle cry as “wartime propaganda.”
“Further, he claims that our history surrounding the Alamo is the ‘Heroic Anglo Narrative.’ There are many more examples of Mr. Buenger attacking or marginalizing Texas history,” Middleton alleged. “Considering his hostile view of Texas history, it is disappointing that Mr. Buenger continues serving as the TSHA’s Chief Historian.”
Middleton’s letter came amidst legal tensions between TSHA’s board of directors and Executive Director J.P. Bryan Jr., a lay Texas historian and noted philanthropist.
According to the conservative-leaning Texas history organization Texas History Trust, Bryan had “parachuted in and bailed the organization out financially, for the fourth or fifth time in his life” when he stepped into the position. However, Bryan’s more traditional view of Texas history did not mesh well with the historical interpretations of the credentialed academics on the board who moved to fire him.
Bryan sued the board over his ouster, alleging a violation of TSHA bylaws. He scored an early victory by securing an injunction to stop the process until it could be heard in court, The Texas Tribune reported.
Recently, Bryan and the board agreed to enter mediation in an attempt to avoid further legal wrangling over the organization. Bryan explained to The Texan, “This is a positive step toward eliminating the discord and refocusing the organization on its mission to document and share the rich, diverse history of Texas.”
For his part, Chief Historian Buenger has denounced the resistance to his interpretation of Texas history. “Since the late 80s, we have made substantial progress. You’re seeing now a sort of reaction to that substantial progress,” Buenger said, per The Texas Tribune.
“The squabbles in the history association threaten a presentation of history that gives dignity to all and is honest and accurate,” he claimed.
Reactions to Sen. Middleton’s letter varied, with some — like former Granbury ISD school board member Christopher Tackett — denouncing it as an example of “White Christian Nationalism.”
Similarly, Texas musician Roger Wallace tweeted, “People like this prefer their history in campfire story form than in factual form. No, we don’t need historians who ‘promote TX history’, we need historians who tell facts.”
However, others cheered on Middleton and insisted that Buenger had failed to preserve and present factually accurate history.
Hillary Hickland wrote, “As a 9th generation Texan, with ancestors at the siege of Bexar, preserving Texas history is so important to me. Thank you @mayes_middleton!”
