Texas State Historical Association Will Move to U. of North Texas

It looks as if the Texas State Historical Association has found a new academic home, at the University of North Texas. The group parted ways with the University of Texas at Austin back in November, ending a partnership that dated to the association’s founding, in 1897.

North Texas announced the new alliance today, pending the outcome of talks about the details of the arrangement. J.C. Martin, the association’s interim director, confirmed that the two parties were negotiating but did not want to go into specifics until the deal was signed.

The university’s president, Gretchen M. Bataille, described herself as “personally pleased” by the alliance. “UNT has long recognized the importance of Texas history,” she said, “and we have built a strong foundation of faculty and library resources that will support the mission of TSHA.”

Among those faculty resources are Randolph (Mike) Campbell, editor of the association’s flagship journal, the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, and Richard B. McCaslin, author of At the Heart of Texas, a centennial history of the group. A number of other North Texas faculty members have ties to the association as well as expertise in various areas of Texas history.

“I think it’s going to be a marriage of great convenience for everyone involved,” Mr. McCaslin said. “It needed to go to a public university, it needed to go to a place that was very committed to Texas history, and we’re it.” He described North Texas’ offer as “very generous” in terms of money, space, and support.

With about 2,200 members, the association brings together scholars and nonacademic history buffs. In addition to Mr. Campbell’s journal, it publishes many books on Texas history as well as a major reference work, The Handbook of Texas, in print and online versions. —Jennifer Howard