Friends of the Texas Historical Commission
Mission
The Friends of the Texas Historical Commission (THC) provides private philanthropic support to benefit the THC’s programs and activities to further the preservation, recognition, and appreciation of our state's heritage.
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Pompeo Coppini's Texas Rangers statue at the Texas State Capitol |
History
The Friends of the THC was incorporated in 1996 by the State of Texas to help meet the Commission’s need for private charitable dollars designated to protect, preserve, promote, and educate our citizens about the state’s rich heritage.
Philanthropic support allows the Friends to offer resources for worthy projects not provided for in the state budget. Additionally, it provides a means for Texans to get personally involved with preserving Texas’ historic places and stories.
More than $6.5 million has been raised by the Friends to benefit the THC since 1996. Special projects supported by the Friends include:
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La Belle excavation, which seeks to preserve one of the most important shipwrecks ever discovered in North America. |
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Fort St. Louis excavation, which revealed the location of La Salle’s ill-fated colony. The project also included the establishment of The Fort St. Louis Archeological Library in Victoria and the creation of an ongoing documentary of the project for the THC website. |
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THC Preservation Fellowships, which build interest in and awareness of historic preservation among young adults from diverse cultural backgrounds.
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Texas Civil War Monuments, an initiative to honor the valor and sacrifices of our state’s Civil War troops on battlefields throughout the nation. |
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The Texas in World War II project developed a new heritage tourism brochure, 21 new Official Texas Historical Markers, oral history training workshops, online educational resources, a special edition of The Medallion, and a multi-year statewide survey to identify and document significant wartime sites as a basis for future planning, preservation, and interpretation. |
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A historic flag campaign preserved and conserved 23 historic flags stored at the Texas State Library and Archives. |
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