Texas has a new state historian.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday he's appointed Monte L. Monroe, Ph.D., as the Texas State Historian.
The Texas State Historian is responsible for increasing public knowledge about the rich and diverse history of the state, encouraging the teaching of Texas history in public schools, consulting with state leaders to promote Texas history and making presentations on Texas history topics.
Monte L. Monroe, Ph.D. of Lubbock is the archivist of the Southwest Collection and on faculty at Texas Tech University. Formerly editor of the West Texas Historical Review, he has taught and published widely on Texas history, serves on the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board, the boards of the West and East Texas Historical Associations, is chair of the Texas State Historical Association Archives Committee, is on the Executive Advisory Committee of the Handbook of Texas Women Online, and is a former board member for the Texas Map Society. He is a founding board member of the Humanities Center at Texas Tech, president of the Rotary Club of Lubbock Foundation, former president of the Downtown Rotary Club of Lubbock, and president of The Meriwether Society, Inc. He was formerly Secretary General of the Pan American Taekwondo Union, an International Master Instructor and International Referee in Taekwondo, and officiated that sport at the Seoul and Barcelona Olympic Games. Monroe received a Bachelor of Arts in literature and history from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in history from Texas Tech University.
Monroe will serve in the position until his term expires on Sept. 26, 2020.
