The city of Texarkana is now home to the Red River Center for Regional History and Culture.
Housed in the Department of History at Texas A&M Texarkana, the new center will be under the direction of Visiting Assistant Professor of History Dr. Andrew McGregor.
The Red River Center for Regional History and Culture at Texas A&M University-Texarkana will support the collection, preservation, exchange, and dissemination of locally and regionally significant materials relating to history and culture in the Red River area.This includes southeast Oklahoma, northeast Texas, southwest Arkansas, and northwest Louisiana.
One of the critical missions of the center is to find ways to deploy history to improve the region by bringing to life its cultural heritage through dynamic exhibits, educational programming, and impactful research.
The Center will illuminate narratives of leadership, struggle, and progress that not only give a better understanding of who we are and where we come from, but also inspire us as we move forward.
The Red River Center for Regional History and Culture will offer an interdisciplinary humanities perspective to building our region, supporting our economic and social welfare, and improving our quality of life.
At its core, the Center will tell the stories of the region we call home- extraordinary stories that have only begun to be recognized. In the fall of 2019, the Red River Center for Regional History and Culture will sponsor a series of talks celebrating several cultural heritage months and soliciting chapters for an edited collection on Texarkana’s regional history.
“The History department is thrilled to be launching this initiative, and I am very excited that we have Dr. McGregor here to oversee and guide it.
Supporting the study of history and culture is a crucial part of our mission, and I look forward to further supporting our students in the study of this region, and to bring those stories into the public space for all to see,” said Dr. Craig Nakashian, TAMUT Associate Professor of History and department chair.
“Most people who live in the Ark-La-Tex have some idea of the cultural richness of the region’s history, and yet none of us knows enough,” added Dr. Del Doughty, Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education. “This Center will build on what we know, or what we think we know, fill in gaps, and lead us to ask new questions.”
“We are thrilled to be adding this important educational resource at Texas A&M University-Texarkana,” said A&M-Texarkana President Dr. Emily Cutrer. “One of our primary goals as an institution is to better the area in which we live. Having an outlet through which to share the history and stories of the Red River region will help us to understand our past, and allow us to keep working towards a better tomorrow.”
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