The Historian’s Historian

Dr. James Conrad receiving his award as the Hunt County Historical Commission and the sponsors of the 20th Cotton and Rural History Conference recognized him as one of the best archivists in Texas.

If you have ever checked out the acknowledgements in a non-fiction book, particularly a history volume, you will find that the author credits at least one archivist for help. It is virtually impossible to write a credible history without visiting archives or special collection for documents and photographs found nowhere else. Using archivists is not limited to professional or degreed historians. Genealogists, local historians, even someone who had a wonderful story to tell receive valuable assistance from these special people.

Recently the Hunt County Historical Commission and the sponsors of the 20th Cotton and Rural History Conference recognized one of the best archivists in Texas, and the very best here in Northeast Texas. James H. Conrad, Ph. D. and former director of Special Collections at the Gee Library on the Texas A&M Commerce campus was pleasantly surprised when so honored.

It was a great honor for me, as chairman of the Hunt County Historical Commission to present the award. You see, in the summer of 1979 I read a brief article in the Herald Banner about a three-week workshop to be held at ETSU. Having some extra time on my hands I signed up. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I learned to love local history. The class pointed me in the direction I wanted to go for the rest of my life. Dr. Conrad and the late Dr. Ralph Goodwin taught the course. I am forever indebted to them.

But I’m not the only fan of Dr. Conrad. He spent his entire career at East Texas State University and Texas A&M Commerce. Although he never left the same campus; the university changed names.

Dr. Conrad’s list of accomplishments is amazing. He received a Ph. D. from Ohio State University in 1974 after starting his teaching career in 1967 at ETSU. In 1976 he moved over to what was then known as The Archives on the fourth floor of Gee Library. But he was never far from the history department, history students, and local historians. He assembled a large collection of oral histories, maps, rare books, notes, letters, and photographs from this region. All the while he managed to write and co-author at least ten books.

Jim and Thad Sitton won the Ottis Lock Award for Best Book on East Texas History from the East Texas Historical Association, not once but twice. He is a Fellow of the East Texas Historical Association. Together Conrad and Sitton also won the distinguished T. R. Fehrenbach Award for Nameless Towns: Texas Sawmill Communities. In 2002 Dr. Conrad received the Thomas L. Charlton Lifetime Achievement Award for the Texas Oral History Association.

At the award ceremony, comments from regional historians were read. Matt White of Paris Junior College commented on the obscure references to prairies buried in stacks and files at the Archives. Matt remarked how many unsolicited packages had arrived in the mail from Dr. Conrad containing photocopies that might and did interest him.

Dr. Kyle Wilkison had the best comment, “Having Jim Conrad as a friend is better than having a grant.” Thank you Dr. Conrad, for sharing.