Public History Commons^™

Spanglish: Un Viaje Al Pasado Observado Por El Presente, Nyleen Benavides, Raquel Christopherson, Rose Jouini, Kennedy Kuchta

Posters - 2026

Since its founding in 1852, St. Mary’s University has evolved from a small institution into a diverse and inclusive community that has worked to overcome discriminatory barriers. Originally founded to serve Mexican students in underserved communities, the university has reflected San Antonio’s Cultural diversity since its earliest years. Its founder, Reverend John Marie Odin, envisioned supporting a “melting pot” of cultures within the city (Flores, 2019). While the university has grown significantly in enrollment, Hispanic culture and traditions have remained a central part of its identity. Today, with over two thousand students enrolled, St. Mary’s University continues to not only …

Thomas Frost: Slave Catcher?, Charles Ryan Ricketts

Posters - 2026

Thomas C Frost, founder of Frost Bank, has long been regarded as a well-spoken individual whose legacy has caused exponential growth in the San Antonio Area. However, Frost’s legacy has deep roots within the Texas branch of the Confederacy and even less known a key enforcer of slavery.   He was a Ranger thru and thru but the type of ranger he was is terrifying.

St. Mary's Rotc, One Hundred Years Of Military Science, Pedro Martinez

Posters - 2026

The ROTC program at St. Mary’s has built a proud legacy of over a century of military tradition, leadership, and service. That distinguished chapter will evolve at the end of this semester as the program transitions from host institution status and becomes an extension of the University of Texas at San Antonio. While the program will continue to operate, this change marks both the end of one era and the beginning of another. Much of this rich history had long gone undocumented by the university and the battalion, until now, bringing together the key moments of its evolution, from its …

Visible And Invisible Empires: The Revival Of The Ku Klux Klan 100 Years Ago, Christian Molina

Theses

Hatred and violence breed division, and division breeds more hatred and more violence. In an America where our politics has become name-calling, finger-pointing, scapegoating, and whataboutisms, and violence, unfortunately, it is safe to say our nation has entered this self-perpetuating cycle. A place for malicious groups concerned with growth, power, and profit to capture the angry, the stressed, and the less informed in their webs of elaborate lies and misleading, misinterpreted numbers the way they have in decades past.

"Nuestra Herencia, Nuestra Historia – Our Heritage, Our History" Preserving Hispanic Heritage Month At St. Mary’S University, Barbara Ortiz

Capstone Projects

This project aims to initiate the preservation for culturally significant events of Hispanic Heritage Month at St. Mary’s University through collection, documentation and archival efforts. By capturing events, speeches, performances, and exhibits, I plan to create a lasting historical record that highlights the contributions and experiences of Hispanic students, faculty, staff, and community members. The Digital Commons will serve as the primary archive and research space, providing a valuable and accessible resource for future generations, fostering understanding, appreciation, and celebration of Hispanic heritage within the St. Mary’s and Westside San Antonio community.

Hidden Gems In The Cops/Metro Archival Collection, Qiuying Chen

Posters - 2025

This student poster was created for the 5th annual Research Showcase at St. Mary's University. From the poster:

University of Texas in San Antonio’s Special Collections has boxes upon boxes of COPS/Metro archival records which include rarely-known stories including these about a United Nations award, nationwide documentaries, and an inspiring bishop. In this project, it is my goal to uncover these special memories.

A Quarter Century Of Scholarship: Trends In The St Mary’S Law Scholar’S Journal, Trenton Boudreaux

Capstone Projects

This project catalogs the trends of the articles published in The Scholar: St Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice. Over its 25-year history, The Scholar has published 26 volumes discussing issues related specifically to minority and social justice issues. The project catalogs the topics covered in the volumes, and explores this data for historical trends. The project posts these results on the St. Mary’s Law School History page and provides historical context for some of the topics covered. This information provides a valuable resource for researchers into The Scholar as a publication.

Getting Engaged: Public Engagement Quiz For “Unity In Action” At Saaacam, Terry Pohl

Capstone Projects

I developed the Getting Engaged Capstone Project in partnership with the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) and their new Museum. The primary purpose of this project is to provide the “Unity in Action,” room, the first exhibit in the final hall of the SAAACAM Museum, with materials to support its cause. This project is dedicated to doing virtually what the “Unity in Action” room is trying to do in person – to send the audience out into the world with a tangible project they can participate in that will help create positive change in the community …

Documenting Music: Chronicling The Fiesta Jazz Festival At St. Mary’S University, Qiuying Chen

Capstone Projects

“Documenting Music: Chronicling the Fiesta Jazz Festival at St. Mary’s University” records memories of the Fiesta Jazz Festival at St. Mary’s University and provides a detailed history of the festival since 1962. Through archival visits, newspaper articles, photos, as well as oral interviews of the Jazz Studies Directors and the volunteer coordinator, the project shares the history of the festival’s structure and organizing efforts. Moreover, the project highlights the festival’s performance information, guest artists, the preparation process, and organizers’ experiences throughout the decades. This project preserves the history for the Music Department and its student community at St. Mary’s University, …

Monuments And Memorials On Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland Afb, Sarah L. Neal

Capstone Projects

The capstone project, Monuments and Memorials on Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland AFB, seeks to document and analyze the monuments and memorials that honor the legacy, achievements, and sacrifices of the U.S. Air Force community. Lackland Air Force Base, a cornerstone of military training and history, holds an array of memorials that capture the essence of military service, from historical milestones to individual acts of valor. This project aims to create a comprehensive resource that not only preserves the history represented by each monument but also serves as an interpretive guide for future generations. The decision to focus on these …

Public History In The Middle School Classroom, Victoria L. Sanchez

Capstone Projects

This project was inspired by my own experience as a middle school classroom teacher and seeks to highlight the crossover between public history pedagogies and middle school social studies instruction. The project’s main focus lies on providing social studies educators with resources to learn about, teach, and integrate classroom projects that draw on public history pedagogies and methods. I created the public PHxMS website to achieve this goal. The intended impact of this site, upon being shared with educators, is to increase awareness about and interest in the field of public history, provide a resource for educators who might be …

Little Flower Church And School: A Digital History Of Westside San Antonio's Spirituality And The Dedication Of The Community, Ashton Jeffers

Capstone Projects

This project utilizes digital and oral history methods to present a collective narrative on the Little Flower Basilica and School. It begins with the origins of the parish on the Westside of San Antonio to the present day, showing how the parish presents its history to the public. Using a StoryMap to create a digital exhibit, this multi-media project includes a comprehensive historical narrative along with primary source documents and photographs of the development of the parish and its school over time. The StoryMap also includes an oral history audio of Diane Gonzales Bertrand, a former member of the Little …

Birth Of A Narrative: Santa Anna Satanized On The Silver Screen, Eddie Anthony Paniagua Jr.

Capstone Projects

“Birth of a Narrative” is a documentary project looking at the history of how former President of Mexico, Antonio López de Santa Anna, has been depicted in movies, television shows, and other visual media in the United States. American film producers have used the power of motion pictures to create a racialized narrative villainizing Antonio López de Santa Anna and Mexicans so as to aggrandize expansionists bent on eliminating or subordinating Tejanos. Films like “Birth of Texas: Martyrs of the Alamo” by DW Griffith and “The Alamo” by John Wayne pulled no punches as they project racial stereotypes of Latinos …

San Antonio At The Military City, Santos Mencio

Capstone Projects

The San Antonio as the Military City project aims to create a digital medium available to the public that recounts the long history of the many military installations scattered across San Antonio. Exploring the role of these bases in the myriad conflicts the United States has participated in and the impact the bases have had on veterans and the people of San Antonio. This information is conveyed using ArcGIS story maps, and the personal stories of those who have served on these bases will provide a more personal perspective on the role of these bases.

An Oral History Project: Shirley Knutson And Rural Ministry Initiative, Carly Bagley

Capstone Projects

This project examines oral history methods through a series of interviews with Shirley Knutson. These interviews focus on her life and her intentions for Rural Ministry Initiative, a Lutheran residency program for clergy interns. Shirley describes her experiences in rural communities as a child, student, teacher, wife, and mother. This project aims to help historians understand ethical practices and effective principals when conducting oral history projects while also exploring historical themes of domesticity, religion, and family relations from the perspective of a woman living in the Midwest United States during the mid- to late-20th century.

The Emma Tenayuca Project, Gwyn V. Hartung

Capstone Projects

This project is a multi-directional approach to increase recognition for labor activist and educator Emma Tenayuca, a lead organizer of the 1938 Pecan Shellers Strike in San Antonio, Texas. By collaborating with community leaders in this project, I seek to inspire future generations of San Antonians by highlighting the struggles and successes Emma and her fellow strikers faced. The biggest part of the project is a call to honor Emma Tenayuca with a permanent monument. Other components of the project include a Twitter account dedicated to sharing information about Tenayuca, an ofrenda dedicated to Tenayuca displayed at Centro de Cultural …

Westside Sound Oral History Project, Norberto "Geremy" Landin

Capstone Projects

The West Side Sound Oral History Project is a collaborative effort that stemmed from the application for a seed grant from the UTSA Westside Community Partnerships Faculty Seed Grants. The grant program serves with the intention of projects that are “likely to catalyze and support meaningful community and academic engagement across research spectrum to improve bienestar of WCP [Westside Community Partnerships] residents.” The project collects oral history interviews with community members, musicians, DJs and music enthusiasts that were/are a part of this music genre scene. West Side Sound is a genre of music that was largely influenced by a combination …

Aj Bellidodeluna, Claudia Sanchez

Latinx Civil Rights

Assistant Dean A.J. Bellido de Luna recounts his higher educational experience as a white passing Cuban Latino. He covers his upbringing, where his family is from, what it means to be Latino to him, and his experience as a Latino faculty member in higher education.

Daniel Gutiérrez, Yairy Mendez

Latinx Civil Rights

In this interview, Daniel discusses how Mexican American Studies is interpreted in Texas public schools and how this affected his own education and cultural identity. Daniel also shares how the COVID-19 pandemic affected his education during his transition from secondary to tertiary school.

Virginia Ibarra, Arthur Reyes

Latinx Civil Rights

Virginia discusses events of her childhood such as crossing the U.S.-Mexico border at Laredo, Texas and working as a babysitter. She also explains how she moved to Houston to work in a sheet metal factory and finally settled in the San Antonio area. Virginia recalls the processes of gaining residency and citizenship while pursuing her education.

Mary Nguyen, Victoria Van Winkle

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Nguyen discusses the struggles she faced keeping her office operating properly before the COVID-19 pandemic. She goes on to explain how she and her partner continued to operate their office during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Gerald Poyo, Claudia Sanchez

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Poyo recounts his educational experience as a Latino migrating from Latin America to the United States to study in university. He speaks about the influence that his Latino professors had on him and his journey of becoming a professor himself. Dr. Poyo also speaks on his role as O’Connor chair including his duties and influence on Latino students.

Abilene Solano, Yairy Mendez

Latinx Civil Rights

Abilene Solano discusses the interpretation of Mexican American Studies in public school education. She also shares insights about her experiences attending public school and some of the challenges she faced being a first-generation student. Abilene relays how her graduating cohort was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and how that affected her everyday life

Lloyd Van Winkle, Victoria Van Winkle

Latinx Civil Rights

As a rural doctor, Dr. Van Winkle faces many challenges to keep his practice open and operating properly. Despite the problems that have surfaced due to COVID-19, he has managed to keep his office open every single day. His love for taking care of his patients overpowers the challenges that arise.

Claudia Donoso, Juan Ochoa

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Donoso discusses a variety of topics centered around immigration. She highlights the immigration process and lack of adequate resources for immigrants while also going into depth about political and economic factors. Dr. Donoso shares both personal and professional perspectives of immigration.

Roberto José Juáez, Ashton Jeffers

Latinx Civil Rights

The interview begins with a brief description of the focus of the session. Dr. Juárez discusses how he became involved in voting rights advocacy and how his family experiences led him to this path. He also explains how he continued centering civil rights expansion throughout law school and his legal career.

Natalie Marquez, Ashton Jeffers

Latinx Civil Rights

Natalie Marquez explains the work she does for Jolt Action and the ways Jolt is involved in the San Antonio Latinx community. Marquez describes how social and political issues in Texas personally affect her and her family. She also shares how to make voting a cultural norm and practice in the Latinx community.

Margaret Cantu-Sanchez, Megan Angelo, Elizabeth Perez

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Margaret Cantu-Sanchez discusses her experience with education starting as early as elementary school all the way up until she received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She describes the obstacles she faced throughout this experience and acknowledges the privileges that helped her along the way. Dr. Cantu-Sanchez offers a unique perspective on higher education for Latinx communities as she is now a professor at her alma mater, St. Mary’s University, which is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). She also plays an important role in cultivating the Mexican American Studies program at this university and …

Elisha Carillo, Madeline Emke

Latinx Civil Rights

Elisha Carrillo talks about their motivations for being involved with MOVE Texas and serving as a deputy field organizer. Elisha explains their first interactions with MOVE as a student at St. Mary’s University and finding an interest in voter advocacy through local elections in the area. Elisha discusses their current position working with MOVE Texas in the San Antonio area as the Bexar County Regional Coordinator and organizing community events regarding local elections and voter education.

Charles Cotrell, Analyssa Gracía, Gabriella Parra

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Cotrell discusses the motivations for his activist work and the experiences he faced as a professor and community leader. He recalls cases from his time serving as an expert witness in voting rights lawsuits and notes the importance of telling stories of voter intimidation. Dr. Cotrell shares his thoughts on staying proactive in politics, gives advice to young activists, and describes how university faculty can support students in their activism. He also reflects on his personal interests and those that occupied most of his time as a professor.