Symposium honors Juan Seguin, Tejano leaders

Date of Release: 10/04/2006

SAN MARCOS —The Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations continue at Texas State University-San Marcos with the “Tejano Leadership in Mexican and Revolutionary Texas” symposium on Oct. 14 from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the LBJ Student Center Teaching Theatre room 4-16.1.

The History Department is hosting the symposium which consists of 13 lectures presented by distinguished historians and professors from across the country. This event will shed light on Tejano figures of Texas history that typically remained in obscurity. Frank de la Teja, chair of the history department, said the primary goal of this event is for students and the community to understand the role of Tejanos as contributors and not by-standers in Texas history.

“I hope they gain an appreciation of this group of men who were involved in public affairs, working on an important level with national Mexican figures and Anglo-Americans in the state,” he said.

“Tejano Leadership” commemorates the 200th birthday of one of the 13 Tejanos featured in the symposium, Juan N. Seguin, a military figure of the Texas Revolution, mayor of San Antonio, member of the Senate of the Republic and figure in Bexar County politics in the 1850s. Other notable figures of revolutionary Texas include Jose Antonio Navarro and Jose Fransisco Ruiz.

Texas State’s contribution to the Tejano legacy in Texas history will be set in print in a publication composed of essays with material from the symposium lectures and edited by de la Teja.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies at (512) 245-2361.