De la Teja named Supple Professor of Southwestern Studies

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
February 13, 2012

Jesús F. de la Teja, Regents’ and University Distinguished Professor of History, has been named the Jerome H. and Catherine E. Supple Professor of Southwestern Studies at Texas State University-San Marcos beginning Sept. 1.

He succeeds Mark Busby, who is retiring as director of Texas State’s Center for the Study of the Southwest and the Southwest Regional Humanities Center and returning to the Department of English on a full-time basis.

De la Teja has been a member of the Department of History at Texas State since 1991, serving as department chair 2005-2011, and has published extensively on Spanish, Mexican and Republic-era Texas. He has served as book review editor for the Southwestern Historical Quarterly since 1997 and between 1990 and 2005 served as managing editor of Catholic Southwest: A Journal of History and Culture. During 2007-2008 he served as president of the Texas State Historical Association. He was part of the content development team for the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum from 1998 to 2001, served as an expert reviewer of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Social Studies standards for the State Board of Education in 2009-2010, and currently serves on the board of directors of Humanities Texas. Governor Rick Perry appointed de la Teja the inaugural State Historian of Texas (2007-2009).

The Supple Professorship is named in honor of Texas State’s ninth president, Jerome Supple, who worked tirelessly in support of the Southwest Regional Humanities Center, and his wife Cathy. It was made possible through a gift from the Alkek Foundation and other gifts from colleagues and friends of the Supple’s and Texas State.

The director of the regional center is designated as the Supple Professor. The Center supports a variety of activities, including programs for students and teachers, lectures and readings by scholars and writers, publication of regional materials.