Ken Bridges/Columnist In Texas, 76 men have been awarded the Medal of Honor for their courage above and beyond the call of duty since the inception of the medal. Perhaps the most recognizable of those figures from World War II was Audie Murphy. Murphy was born into a desperately poor family in Hunt County in 1925. His father abandonedContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer For the adventurers and dreamers of the world, there are no limits. Wiley Hardeman Post was born on his parents’ cotton farm near Canton in November 1898. He was born on a farm with no electricity in a time when airplanes were still just a dream, but within a few years,Continue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer As schools and universities across Texas begin their school years, teachers and administrators continue their work to educate students and improve lives. The University of Texas at El Paso has long been such an institution, serving as one of the pioneers for education in West Texas. AtContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer Barbara Jordan was a woman of many firsts in her career. In her relatively short time in Congress and the Texas State Senate, she left an immeasurable impact and in a cynical and dark age in American politics, she became for many across the nation a voice ofContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer Texas musician Scott Bradley was never widely known outside of the studio, but his music was the heart of some of the most iconic American cultural icons of the twentieth century, most notably, the famed cartoon duo of Tom and Jerry. Bradley was born in Russellville, Ark.,,Continue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer For years, he was considered to be the most trusted man in America. Texan Walter Cronkite became the face of the news for millions of Americans as television news began to make its appearance and to make an impact on the nation’s consciousness. As one of the most well-known journalists in theContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer Texan Byron Nelson was a legend in sports. In the 1940s, he was the most successful golfer in the world, never losing his faith or his modesty. John Byron Nelson, Jr., was born in Waxahachie in 1912 to a hard-working family of devoted churchgoers. In the 1920s, the familyContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer The generation that fought World War I is now gone, but their legacy of bravery continues to live on. One of those figures was Private Marcelino Serna of El Paso, one of the most highly decorated men of the war. As an immigrant, he fought with uncommonContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The federal government is facing a deadline with the ability to pay its bills. Unless a new limit is authorized, the government will hit the debt ceiling, cutting off the government’s ability to borrow money to pay its existing bills. With the debt ceiling issue, the question isContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Sometimes one person in a community can have an impact that continues to be felt for years afterward. Jovita Idar, a woman armed only with a pen and passion for helping those in need, would have an impact felt across Texas in her lifetime. She would run several newspapers, foundedContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer In the years before oil dominated the Texas economy, farmers and ranchers made the state’s reputation through the hard days of tilling the soil and driving countless herds of cattle. Of all the ranchers who poured their sweat and blood into the dust to build lives for themselves,Continue Reading
As many writers have noted, writing is the painting of a picture in another person’s mind using only words. The magnificent scenery of Texas has inspired many artists and writers through the years, and the backdrop of overwhelming beauty and sometimes larger-than-life characters has often been the spark needed for a greatContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Edward House was a Texan determined to move the world when the world refused to be moved. He was a powerful diplomat and presidential advisor and a voice for peace in a time when so much of the world was bent on destruction. House was born in HoustonContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The late 1800s was the age of the railroad. Trains steamed across the hills, valleys, and plains of a growing United States, steadily bringing distant communities closer together. Thousands of miles of track were laid down by thousands of men to build a rail network that brought peopleContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The 1950s and 1960s introduced Americans to television and riveted audiences with tales of the frontier. One of the most noted actors of the era was Texan Fess Parker. He became one of the most popular actors of the time, giving life to legendary American figures such asContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The career of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna brought him to the height of power in Mexican politics, serving as president on eleven different occasions though he preferred to be leading his armies in the field. His career had also brought him nearly into political oblivion. In spiteContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer In 1836, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the president and general who dominated the political scene in Mexico, rose into Texas with his army, with destruction on his mind. He was determined to put down the uprising of the Texas colonists. He had spent months campaigning acrossContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Samuel Augustus Maverick came to Texas with a dream of making a fortune in land sales. In the process, he became one of the most memorable characters in the history of the state and an important figure in its early history. In the process, he became the originalContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Howard Hughes was a man who once commanded the world’s attention, sometimes for all the wrong reasons. His story is one of wealth, power, fame, and the dangers of obsession. Howard Robard Hughes, Jr., was born in Houston on Christmas Eve, 1905. His father, Howard R. Hughes,Continue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Sometimes the men dismissed for their failures early in life can become the greatest successes. The story of R. L. Thornton is the story of a man raised in poverty and with barely an eighth grade education became synonymous with the success of Dallas in the 1950s. Robert Lee Thornton was born in 1880 in Hamilton County,Continue Reading