Heritage, 2011, Volume 3 Page: 10
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Above: At the April 2011 city council meeting, Sherman Mayor Bill Majors (standing) presented an official proclamation honoring Dr. Cummins (on
right) for his service as state historian; Councilman Willie Steele (center) looks on.Appointed by Governor Perry
in May 2009, Dr. Cummins
is well-qualified to serve as
the state historian. His pro-
fessional credentials include
34 years of teaching history at Austin
College in Sherman, an expert schol-
arship on the Anglo-American west-
ward movement into Spanish-speaking
Texas, and author of several books on
American and Texas history. Cummins
says being asked to succeed the first ap-
pointee to the post, Dr. Jesus (Frank)
de la Tejas, a Texas State University
distinguished professor and a respected
historian, was a privilege and afforded
him the opportunity to share a life-
long passion with a wider audience. He
describes his role as state historian as
being the public face representing the
passion and loyalty that so many Tex-
ans feel for the history and heritage of
the place they call home.
Cummins, who grew up in San An-
tonio and spent time on his family's
ranch, can trace his Lone Star roots
back to the 1820s. The native Texan
is a descendent of Asa Townsend and
James Cummins, two members of Ste-
phen F. Austin's Old 300 Colony. The
historian remembers growing up hear-
ing family stories of Texas and being
surrounded by San Antonio's old mis-sions and the Alamo, visible testimony
to the state's past. As such, Cummins
developed a keen interest in history
during his childhood, which would
direct his academic pursuits. While at-
tending Southwest Texas State Univer-
sity (now Texas State University) as a
history major, Cummins explains that
he came under the influence of two
professors, Everett Swinney, currently
a distinguished professor emeritus at
Texas State, and the late William C.
Pool, a prominent educator and bi-
ographer of Texas historian Eugene
C. Barker. The two men introduced
Cummins to the richness of the state's
history and encouraged and mentored
him through his undergraduate and
graduate pursuits.
Because of San Antonio's thriving
Hispanic community, Cummins not
only learned to speak Spanish, but also
gained an appreciation for the city's
culture and heritage. Therefore, he de-
cided to focus his graduate studies on
the Spanish and Mexican period in
Texas. He did doctoral work at Tulane
University and spent two years in Spain
in the 1970s on a Fulbright scholarship,
writing his dissertation on Spain and
the American Revolution, with the his-
torical focus on Texas and Louisiana.
In the fall of 1978, Cummins joinedthe faculty of Austin College. He re-
ports that Texas history continues to be
one of his most popular courses, sim-
ply because of the avid interest in the
subject. He goes on to explain, "Many
of my students do not necessarily want
to major in history. They are from all
backgrounds, all cultures, and some
are from other countries. These young
people share a desire to learn more
about where they are from or where
they now live."
Undeniably, Cummins' personal
background, education, and his teach-
ing career have made him an ideal ad-
vocate for serving as state historian.
Yet, in return, the post has provided
him with a broader perspective on
the obvious-how the cause of Texas
history is publicly perceived and sup-
ported. "One of the things I've learned
during these past two years is that most
Texans, from any and all backgrounds,
have a real and notable appreciation for
their state's extraordinary past. There
is a presence in this state that draws
people into its history," says Cummins,
"and I believe that [the cause of] Tex-
as history has never been more alive,
more vibrant or robust, than it is right
now." He maintains that this fascina-
tion and regard for the story of Texas
is something, in his experience, that10 TEXASHERITAGE I Volume 3 2011
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, 2011, Volume 3, periodical, 2011; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254222/m1/10/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.