The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) formed by Hally Bryan, Betty Ballinger, Mrs. Andrew Briscoe, and other Texas women in 1891 and was officially chartered by the State of Texas on March 9, 1895. Although begun as a companion to the Texas Veterans Association, the TVA disbanded in 1907 while the DRT continued its operation. The organization joins together women descended from Texas pioneers of the colonial and republican periods in order to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved and maintained the Independence of Texas. The DRT encourages historical research into the earliest records of Texas, especially those relating to the Revolution of 1835; fosters preservation of documents and relics; and supports the publication of records of the individual services of the soldiers and patriots of the Republic and other source material for the history of Texas. Additionally, the organization promotes the celebration of Texas honor days such as Texas Independence Day and San Jacinto Day and memorializes historic locations by erecting monuments.
In 1905, Clara Driscoll and Adina de Zavala obtained the Alamo in San Antonio for the DRT to maintain for the state, and in 1950, the organization opened its library at the site. In 1929, the DRT began the Children of the Republic of Texas in order to assemble men and women under the age of 21, who also descend from early Texas pioneers. In 1949, the Daughters in Austin received custodianship of the French Legation in Austin.
The Stephen F. Austin (SFA) Chapter organized on April 21, 1933, at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, with 30 members. In addition to supporting the DRT’s goals and mission, the SFA Chapter helps maintain the French Legation and the Alamo. Additionally, it sponsors the Sarah Turner Cottle Chapter of the Children of the Republic of Texas. As of 1994, the chapter was one of 108 throughout the state of Texas.
Sources:
Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Stephen F. Austin Chapter Records, 1933-2009, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas,
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Stephen F. Austin Chapter,
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Stephen F. Austin Chapter Records, 1933-2009, contains correspondence, constitution and bylaw files, pamphlets and brochures, newspaper clippings and newsletters, meeting minutes, ledgers, membership files, dues reports, yearbooks, awards and certificates, history books, and scrapbooks. The collection relates to the activities of the SFA Chapter, including the chapter’s involvement with the Children of the Republic of Texas, support of the French Legation Museum in Austin, workshops and lectures, cemetery marker dedications, and work with local elementary schools.
This collection is open for research use.
These records are stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.
Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Stephen F. Austin Chapter Records, 1933-2009, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Several volumes of the Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas have been separated to the Library Unit.
See also Daughters of the Republic of Texas, William Barret Travis Chapter Records.
This collection was processed by Laurel Rozema, August 2010.