Explore the Battle of San Jacinto and the Texas Revolution in depth with four renowned scholars at the San Jacinto Day Lecture Series. Lectures will take place before, between, and after the two reenactments and admission to them is free. Each lecture will be approximately 30 minutes long with an opportunity for a question-and-answer session following its conclusion.
Historian Bill O’Neal presents the second talk in the series on “Sam Houston and the San Jacinto Campaign." He will discuss Houston, his military and leadership background, his strategic retreat and efforts to train his men in basic battlefield movements, and the fight itself.
Bill O'Neal was appointed State Historian of Texas by Governor Rick Perry. During his six-year tenure (2012-2018), Bill traveled tens of thousands of miles across the Lone Star State as an ambassador for Texas History, providing programs at schools, colleges, and universities, and historical events. During his years as State Historian, Bill published a weekly blog about his activities, Lone Star Historian and Lone Star Historian 2. Bill is the award-winning author of 54 non-fiction books, including Sam Houston, A Study in Leadership. Bill was presented with the A.C. Greene Literary Award at the 2015 West Texas Book Festival in Abilene. In 2012, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Wild West Historical Association, and in 2007 he was named True West Magazine's Best Living Non-Fiction Writer. During a long teaching career at Panola College, Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History Course, which featured a 2,100-mile field trip and three hours credit. Bill is a past president and fellow of both the East Texas Historical Association and the West Texas Historical Association. He has been a member of the Texas State Historical Association for 52 years, and he has presented programs to historical societies across the American West.
The lecture will take place in the Jesse H. Jones Theatre.
