A Guide to the University of Texas at San Antonio: Institute of Texan Cultures: Office of the Executive Director Records, 1966-1979, 2006

Historical Note

The Institute of Texan Cultures was established by the Fifty-ninth Texas Legislature on May 27, 1965. The agency was directed to develop and implement an appropriate plan for the state's participation in HemisFair '68 to plan exhibits related to the history of Texas, its development, resources, and contributions; and to design and erect a building suited to housing these exhibits, giving due consideration to its utility for state purposes after the fair. The institute, a permanent state agency located on HemisFair grounds in San Antonio, was designed to study the ethnic groups that settled in Texas. While not a museum, the institute displayed relics, artifacts, and personal memorabilia, but only those that had a direct connection with telling the story of the people in each ethnic group. The exhibits made use of sound, color, movement, and atmospheric design. R. Henderson Shuffler guided the research projects and formed the original staff.

The institute's continued function is to bring together, on loan, fragments of Texas history collections from museums and archives throughout the state, to produce filmstrips and slide shows on segments of Texas history, and to publish historical pamphlets and books. The Institute of Texan Cultures was put under the University of Texas System effective June 5, 1969, and its official title became the University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio. In February 1973 the institute became, more specifically, a part of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Upon the death of Shuffler in 1975, Jack R. Maguire was named director. Rex H. Ball was director of the institute in 1995. He was advised by the institute's development board and reported directly to the president of UTSA, Samuel A. Kirkpatrick. In 1995 there were 100 regular staff members and 450 volunteer workers. The institute was funded by biennial legislative appropriations, grants, contributions, and funds generated by the sale of publications, audiovisuals, other products, and the rental of the institute's facilities. In addition to maintaining 50,000 square feet of exhibits featuring twenty-seven cultures and ethnic groups, the institute hosts the Texas Folklife Festival, the Asian Festival, and other events.

Source: Tiller, David C. "University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures," Handbook of Texas Online.http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/UU/kcu25.html (Accessed 1 April 2009).

Scope and Content Note

This collection spans the years 1966 through 2006 (bulk 1966-1979) and includes records transferred from the Institute of Texan Cultures Office of the Executive Director. The records comprise the administrative files of R. Henderson Shuffler, the first director of the Institute of Texan Cultures. Administrative files primarily include incoming and outgoing correspondence.

This collection is housed at UTSA's HemisFair Park Campus, though off-site access is also available at UTSA's John Peace Library.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Personnel files are closed.

Usage Restrictions

Please contact University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections for further information about copyright issues and permission to publish items from this collection.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], UTSA: Institute of Texan Cultures: Office of the Executive Director Records, UA 15.01.01, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Institute of Texan Cultures Library in 2005 (Acc. 2005-28) and the Institute of Texan Cultures Office of the Executive Director in 2006 (2006-23).

Proclamations donated by Jack Maguire Jr in 2012 (Acc. 2012-042).

Processing Information

Processed by Meagan Brunts and Heather Brunts, Interns, January 2006 (Acc. 2005-28); Angela McClendon, Manuscripts Archivist, November 2007 (Acc. 2006-23); and Sean Heyliger, March, 2011 (Acc. 2011-007).

Encoded by Angela McClendon, November 2007, September 2008.

Encoded by Sean Heyliger, March, 2011.

Detailed Description of the Collection