Thomas E. Alexander is the vice chair of the commission. He was appointed to the Texas Historical Commission as its professional historian in 2003 by Governor Rick Perry and re-appointed for a second term by the Governor in 2009. He is an author and historian whose books on Texas military history have received prestigious awards including one for being the best book on West Texas history (2006).
After nearly 20 years with Neiman Marcus, he retired as executive vice president of marketing. Upon his retirement, Alexander owned and operated his ranch in West Central Texas for many years.
He served on a combat crew in the Strategic Air Command of the U.S. Air Force and later as an instructor in the Illinois Air National Guard with the rank of major.
Alexander holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in Military Studies from the American Military University in West Virginia. He is a member of the board of directors of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation in Fredericksburg, Texas, and serves on the Advisory Council for the Center for Big Bend Studies at Sul Ross University in Alpine. A former board member of the West Texas Historical Association, Alexander is also a life member of the Panhandle Plains Historical Society, the Military Officers Association of America, the Air Force Association, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
In 2007, he received the National History Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution and in 2008, he was commissioned by Gov. Perry to be an “Admiral in the Texas Navy” for his contributions to the preservation of the military history of the Lone Star State.
