Local university professor to present Sept. 24
The Museum of South Texas History welcomes UTRGV professor Dr. Lino García Jr. to present “Colonial Spanish Texas – 1528-1821” on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. Following the presentation, García will be signing his book, “Colonial Spanish Texas and Other Essays,” which will be available for purchase in The Museum Store. 
García has been called an “ambassador of Texas” with over 50 presentations made about his research on Hispanic human events that have occurred on Texas soil since the arrival of the Spanish in 1528. García’s message is clear: We can no longer deny the seamless Texas history that began with the native peoples populating Texas for more than 12,000 years before the first Europeans arrived in the region. That culture, blended with the Spanish-Mexican culture, formed the foundation of many events and institutions, over the course of many historical events, that led to present-day Texas culture. School children of Texas, now with an over 50 percent Hispanic student body, deserve a greatly enriched education and appreciation for the many different cultures that have made the state of Texas great. García will also discuss the influence of non-Hispanics on Texas history.
García holds a doctorate in Spanish Literature and Latin-American Studies from Tulane University, and he has received numerous honors and awards for his work. A native of Brownsville, García is an eighth generation Tejano. His ancestors, the Longoria-Chapa family, arrived on Texas soil with Col. José de Escandón y Helguera in 1749 and were recipients of Spanish Land Grants (porciones) awarded by King Carlos III of Spain in 1767. García served in the US Navy on a destroyer vessel during the Korean War, earning two battle stars for combat duties. Currently, García holds the chair of Professor Emeritus of Spanish Literature and Coordinator of the Spanish Texas Studies Project at UTRGV–Edinburg where he has taught and served on the as faculty and as an administrator since 1967.
Sunday Speakers Series is included in the fee for regular museum admission. FRIENDS of the Museum are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship.
This program is made possible with generous support from the Carmen C. Guerra Endowment. Mrs. Guerra was deeply committed to supporting educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley. This named endowment was created at the museum by her family to honor her memory and to continue her commitment to providing opportunities for education to the community.
About Museum of South Texas History
The Museum of South Texas History is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is located in downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Hours of operation are from 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. Founded in 1967 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail, the museum has grown over the decades through a series of expansions to occupy a full city block. In 2003 following the completion of a 22,500 square foot expansion, the museum was renamed the Museum of South Texas History to better reflect its regional scope. Today, the museum preserves and presents the borderland heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico through its permanent collection and the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives and exhibits spanning prehistory through the 20th century. For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like us on Facebook, follow on Twitter, find on Google+ or call +1-956-383-6911.