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Humanities Texas Award Ceremony
January 24, 2008
AUSTIN—Gov. Rick Perry presented Clifton and Shirley Caldwell and the Brownsville Historical Association with the inaugural Humanities Texas Awards in a ceremony at the Texas Capitol on January 24.
The awards recognize imaginative leadership in the humanities on a local, regional or state level and carry a $5,000 prize.
“People who preserve our memories and champion the life-giving disciplines of the humanities expand our notion of what we can achieve as individuals and as a society,” Gov. Perry said. “As a Texan, I am grateful to all of you for increasing the influence of the humanities on our state. As a student of history, I am blessed by your efforts to interpret and defend our heritage. And as your governor, I am honored to recognize you as a vital part of our culture, our economy and our future.”
Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, develops and supports diverse programs across the state, including lectures, oral history projects, teacher institutes, museum exhibitions and documentary films.
The 2007 recipients of the Humanities Texas Award were selected from among nearly fifty nominees.
Albany residents Clifton and Shirley Caldwell have promoted Texas history and historic preservation for nearly four decades through philanthropy, civic leadership, independent scholarship and entrepreneurial activity.
The Caldwells have served as leaders to many of the state’s cultural and historical organizations, including the Texas Historical Commission, the Texas State Historical Association, the Dallas County Historical Commission, the Shackelford County Historical Commission and the Center for Big Bend Studies. They were nominated for the Humanities Texas Award by the Texas Historical Commission.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell have authored books exploring Texas history. Together, they established the Clifton and Shirley Caldwell Texas Heritage Series at the University of Texas Press and are proprietors of The Lynch Line, an Albany bookstore specializing in Texas and Western history.
“Pulitzer Prize winner Edith Wharton wrote, ‘There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it,’” said Mrs. Caldwell in accepting the award. “Well, I’ve always thought that Clifton and I were the mirrors, and we were reflecting all of you out there—good friends, family and associates who have been so generous and loyal to us. Because that’s really what life’s all about: reflecting those things you see in society that you know are important.”
The Brownsville Historical Association (BHA) develops and sponsors public programs exploring the history, heritage and cultural arts of the Rio Grande Valley.
For six decades, BHA has supported the educational and cultural growth of South Texas and has catalyzed the redevelopment of historic downtown Brownsville by sponsoring accessible and compelling humanities programs for Rio Grande Valley residents and tourists alike. Brownsville City Manager Charlie Cabler nominated BHA for the award.
“A lot of what we do has been free to the public, and it has really impacted not just Brownsville but the Rio Grande Valley,” said BHA Executive Director Priscilla Rodriguez. “In the first year that we adopted our strategic plan and revised our vision statement, our numbers at the museum quadrupled, and then in the second year they quadrupled again. We’re seeing a tremendous response, not just across the Rio Grande Valley, but from visitors in Matamoros and the northern part of Mexico. And so much of what we’ve been able to accomplish has been because of the support of Humanities Texas through the exhibit program and the grant program.”
Michael L. Gillette, executive director of Humanities Texas, commended the inaugural winners and finalists as exemplary practitioners of the public humanities.
“Both Clifton and Shirley Caldwell and the Brownsville Historical Association have made significant contributions to the appreciation and understanding of Texas history and culture,” Gillette said. “We are honored to recognize their achievements, and we hope that their work, and that of the finalists, will serve as models for others to emulate.”
Other finalists included:
- Art’s for Everyone of Encinal, represented by Donna Lednicky, for the remarkable array of cultural programs they have provided to rural populations in South Texas.
- Austin Public Library, represented by Devo Carpenter, for the library’s Second Chance Books Project, which provides books, discussion groups and writing workshops for thousands of incarcerated teens in central Texas.
- The Library Club of Menard, represented by Barbara Carroll and friends, for building and operating the Menard Public Library without any government funds.
- David Champion of Weslaco, who has worked with local schools and with the Smithsonian Institution to document and advance a greater appreciation of the Rio Grande Valley’s culture.
- Melissa Waddy Thibodeaux of Houston, whose living history performances as Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth have inspired Texas audiences.
- Farid Mohammadi of Austin, who has worked tirelessly to promote poetry and the role it plays in the lives of Texans.
Humanities Texas will issue a call for nominations for the 2008 Humanities Texas Award in the spring.
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About Humanities Texas
Humanities Texas, formerly the Texas Council for the Humanities, is a nonprofit organization that develops and supports diverse programs across the state, including lectures, oral history projects, teacher institutes, museum exhibitions and documentary films. For more information, please visit Humanities Texas online at http://www.humanitiestexas.org