Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The twentieth century transformed the United States from a moderate power only loosely involved in world affairs into a superpower where most questions of foreign relations revolved around American goals and intentions. Much of this transition began taking place during the period just before and just after WorldContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Cartoons have captivated and delighted children – and the young at heart — for generations. As the motion picture industry emerged, cartoons became a staple feature of the matinee. As television later emerged, they became normal fare on Saturday mornings and late afternoons after school. Even inContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer William Barret Travis is perhaps one of the most memorable figures from the Texas Revolution and the siege of the Alamo. His name has since been honored with the naming of TravisCounty, a park in San Antonio, and numerous schools across the state. Like many heroic figures, hisContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Accidents happen. People make wrong turns. Sometimes these end badly, sometimes not. One supposed wrong turn became part of an aviation legend. And with it, Texan Douglas Corrigan became known for one of the most bizarre feats in aviation history–the transatlantic flight going the wrong way. Corrigan wasContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer John Ireland lost more political races than he won, but he had an important role in state history. He rose from an impoverished background to become a Civil War officer, judge, and governor. Along the way, he helped create two icons of Texas: the University of Texas andContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 has been studied at length by military minds and academics for decades. The naval officer in charge of the Pacific Fleet in the months before the attack was a Texas native, Admiral James Otto Richardson. As the UnitedContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/ Contributing writer John H. Reagan had risen through the ranks of Texas frontier politics, serving as a local judge and legislator and ultimately a member of Congress. He had fought for Texas secession and later became a member of the Confederate cabinet. But with the end of the CivilContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer John Henninger Reagan was a controversial figure in Texas History. He had a long record, serving as a judge, U. S. Senator, Confederate cabinet member, and chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. While he was an outspoken defender of slavery and secession early in his career, he was later a defender ofContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer It was a cool morning in Gainesville on October 4, 1862. A hushed silence fell as witnesses gazed at the man a lonely tree. They saw the rope tighten and the man fall to his death. He was accused of treason, but there was no evidenceContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Students begin a new school year with hopes and dreams of better lives. Teachers and administrators similarly have high hopes for their students, trying to create classrooms and schools of the highest quality where these dreams can be nurtured and minds developed, as difficult as this sometimes isContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The American highway is a unique experience. Americans can travel anywhere at any time connected by a network of tens of thousands of miles of paved highways. Drivers can drive through farmlands, hills, dense forests, towering mountains, and flower-strewn prairies in a matter of hours compared to theContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Pa Ferguson was one of the most controversial governors in the history of Texas. The consequences of his administration would be felt for years. As a result of his actions, in 1917, Ferguson became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office. James Edward Ferguson, also calledContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The recent report that University of Texas engineering professor Dr. John B. Goodenough, along with Stanley Whittingham of New York and Akira Yoshino of Japan, has been awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the development of lithium-ion batteries has excited Texans and science fans alike. However,Continue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer John Connally became a giant in Texas politics in the 1960s. He had a long career that included service in World War II, work as an attorney, years of work with Lyndon Johnson as his right-hand man in many campaigns. He would eventually rise to become governor and Secretary of the TreasuryContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer More than 180 years after his death, the mention of Jim Bowie still stirs the imagination of admirers around the world. But Bowie was more than just the knife or the battle at the Alamo. Overall, it was a remarkable and colorful life of adventure. James Bowie wasContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer H. Bentley Glass was at one time one of the most famous scientists in the nation. His life was a journey that began with missionary parents and a Texas education. Glass traveled the world, wrote volumes of books, made important scientific discoveries, and in the 1950s andContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Roger Mills was an early Texas lawyer and legislator. He fought in the Civil War and served for nearly three decades in Congress and the U. S. Senate from the 1870s through the 1890s. Though respected for his dedication and work ethic, his political stands damaged hisContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Bob Wills was one of the earliest stars of country music in Texas just as radio became popular. Wills was one of the pioneers of western swing and inspired generations of country music artists. James Robert Wills was born in the small community of Kosse, about 45 milesContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer “A good man is always learning,” is an old Latin Proverb. Sages and thinkers since the days of the first schools thousands of years ago have recognized the importance of education in shaping and informing the minds of students from their earliest lessons and throughout their lives. Continue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Rienzi Johnston was the powerful editor of The Houston Post, one of the state’s most influential newspapers. Though mostly forgotten today, he was at one time one of the most widely read men in the state, and his words could make or break political careers. HeContinue Reading