A discussion celebrating Jenkins Garrett’s remarkable legacy as a lawyer, philanthropist, and passionate collector whose vision helped shape Texas historical preservation and scholarship.
Session sponsored by:
⭐ J. P. BryanThis roundtable honors the life and legacy of Jenkins Garrett—lawyer, businessman, philanthropist, and one of Texas’s great collectors of history. Panelists will reflect on Garrett’s enduring impact on Texas scholarship, his pivotal role in developing UT Arlington’s Special Collections, and his lifelong dedication to preserving the state’s documentary heritage.
Session Chair: Stephen L. Hardin, Texas State Historical Association
Ron Tyler is retired Director of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (2006–2011) and former Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin. He served as Director of the Texas State Historical Association and editor-in-chief of The New Handbook of Texas. An award-winning author and curator, he has written extensively on American, Western American, Texas, and Mexican art and history, with major works including Texas Lithographs: A Century of History in Images and The Art of Texas: 250 Years.
J. P. Bryan is a longtime supporter and past president of the Texas State Historical Association, continuing a family legacy of leadership dating back to the organization’s founding. A graduate of The University of Texas and founder of Torch Energy Advisors in Houston, he has been a driving force in preserving and promoting Texas history, raising more funds for TSHA than anyone in its history.
Gerald D. Saxon, a Beaumont native, retired from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2024 after a 38-year career as Director of Special Collections, Dean of Libraries, and Associate Professor of History. A certified archivist and Ph.D. graduate of the University of North Texas, he taught Texas and Southwestern history and now holds emeritus status. Saxon is the author or editor of numerous works on Texas history, including Contested Empire: Rethinking the Texas Revolution (2015).
Dr. Stephen L. Hardin is a specialist in Texas, military, and social history. His numerous publications range from the award-winning Texian Illiad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution to, most recently, Texian Macabre: The Melancholy Tale of a Hanging in Early Houston, a fascinating study of early Houston society. In addition to his writing and teaching activities, Hardin has also provided specialist commentary on the A&E Network, the History Channel, the Discovery Network, and NBC’s TODAY show. Elected Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association, 2009.
Ben Huseman is a cartographic historian and longtime curator, best known for his eighteen years as cartographic archivist at the University of Texas at Arlington Library. He has curated numerous exhibitions, taught courses on Borderlands history using rare maps and primary sources, and previously held curatorial positions at the DeGolyer Library and the Amon Carter Museum. Huseman is the author of multiple gallery guides and publications on early maps, religion and cartography, and visual records of the U.S.–Mexico War and the American West.
