April 2020
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame Newsletter
Sponsored by the City of Waco
Official State Historical Center of the Texas Rangers
Home of Texas Ranger Bicentennial 1823-2023
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Temporary Closure to Prevent COVID-19 Risk
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The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum will be closed to the public at least through midnight April 21, 2020. This includes gift shop purchases and all events in John Knox Center Banquet Hall and the Education Center.
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The City of Waco, our trustee, is being proactive in trying to limit the community spread of the Coronavirus. Essential security and maintenance continue at the historical center, staff members continue their work at home and look forward to reopening.
Normally open 362 days a year, this is the longest the historical center has been closed to the public since it opened 52 years ago in 1968.
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A Doorway to the Texas Ranger Museum Collections
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We are excited to announce the launch of a new internet portal to the historical collections of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum! Visitors worldwide can browse a selection of the 20,000 artifacts, artwork, photographs and documents preserved for future generations in the permanent collections. These resources are made available to the public for education, research purposes, and personal enjoyment. We hope you will explore our collections, and check back often as new material is added!
The project was developed by a team including Rachel Smith, Assistant Collections Manager; Zachary Baker, Baylor student intern; and Shelly Crittendon, Collections Manager. We encourage you to explore the items now on the system with many more to come.
Explore the selection of objects, archives and photographs here:
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Ranger Field Dress and Training Materials
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Clothing, instructional materials and reference guides used by the Texas Rangers are among the rarest artifacts and documents. When they become obsolete, they are usually stripped of insignia and discarded or destroyed. Recently former Assistant Chief Frank Malinak donated a dozen items of field dress from his distinguished 24-year career in the Texas Rangers. They include camouflage field BDUs (as seen below) suited for tactical operations work and Border reconnaissance and a short-lived tan suit, one of several unsuccessful and unpopular attempts to implement standardized dress.
Assistant Chief Malinak specialized in investigative hypnosis and courtroom presentations. The manuals and books include materials on crime scene investigation, hypnosis, many aspects of forensics and even autopsy. Since his retirement, he has been a Board member of this historical center. His many contributions to the Texas Rangers and his continuing interest in their history has been a foundation for their future.
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To the Texas Rangers, with so many responsibilities, these items are often mundane and obsolete. But to future generations they represent a snapshot of the Texas Rangers at the turn of the 21st century.
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Discovering the Legend
with Ranger Travis Dendy
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Discovering the Legend
is a series of TV programs about Texas Ranger history, artifacts and art, and modern Ranger duties produced in cooperation Waco City Cable Television. More than 30 programs are available on our web site featuring Texas Rangers, historians, and our staff.
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Episode #35 features an interview with Texas Ranger Travis Dendy of Company “F” stationed in Waco. Ranger Dendy is a 3rd generation Texas Ranger and shares his unique perspective growing up in the tradition, as well as his daily duties as a Texas Ranger.
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Hundreds of visitors came to Spring Break Round Up on Saturday, March 7th. This year one visitor traveled over 6,700 miles from Mongolia, a country between China and Russia. Mongolia is steeped in the horse cul
ture of Mongol leader Genghis Khan (1162-1227). He was fascinated by Texas
horse culture and the Rangers represented by the
Texas Top Guns
and
Legends of Texas Rangers
reenactors.
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Another visitor traveled from Russia and couldn't wait to meet Texas Ranger Travis Dendy to tell him how he watches
Walker, Texas Ranger
daily.
The Lone Ranger
has been shown in Russia for years and children in Moscow dress as Rangers.
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A special thanks to our partners for Spring Break Round Up 2020 -
Texas Top Guns
,
Legends of the Texas Rangers
and Texas Ranger Travis Dendy of Company "F."
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We are pleased to welcome Cynthia Leon, of Mission, Texas, back to the museum Board. She was appointed to the Texas Public Safety Commission that oversees Texas DPS and the Texas Ranger Division by former Governor Rick Perry. She served as Chair of the Commission from April 2012 to March 2017 and then received the title of Chairman Emeritus in recognition of her outstanding service.
Her distinguished career includes service as a Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and 25 years of military service reaching the rank of Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserves.
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Ms. Leon previously served on the TRHFM Board as Texas Public Safety Commission Chair and representative, withdrawing at the end of her chairmanship. The Board believes her outstanding contributions to the development of the TRHFM will be invaluable for our future.
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We are also delighted to welcome Sallie Armstrong Bentley, of Austin, Texas to the Board. She is a descendant of the legendary frontier Texas Ranger John B. Armstrong. She is the granddaughter of Tobin and U.S. Ambassador Anne Armstrong. Efforts by her family and father, Tobin Armstrong Jr., made possible the Armstrong Texas Ranger Research Center.
Ms. Armstrong Bentley is
Budget Advisor to the office of Governor Greg Abbott. She previously served as
Assistant Director of Finance for the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dennis Bonnen.
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Her extensive legislative experience includes work for Governor Greg Abbott, two House Speakers and the Texas Inaugural Committee. The Board believes her service would be especially advantageous as a liaison for the State with the upcoming Texas Ranger Bicentennial™.
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Proud Remembrance of Days Gone By With Fairfield History Club
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The March meeting of the Fairfield History Club was hosted by June and Columbus Long at Cottonwood Terrace, Fairfield, Texas. The historic setting of Cottonwood Terrace Saloon was the perfect western venue for having guest speaker, Audrey Ladd with the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas. Audrey spoke on the History of Texas Rangers from 1823 to present day, long with showing various artifacts such as guns and surveying equipment used in the 1830s. It was mentioned that Club President, Donna Tyus’s Great Great Grandfather, Robert Malone Tyus served as a Texas Ranger in 1837.
Fairfield History Cub presented a donation to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame in honor of June & Columbus Long for their graciousness in hosting the Club.
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Texas Ranger Bicentennial
TM
Partners Program
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Be part of the Texas Ranger Bicentennial! The Texas Rangers will commemorate their landmark 200th anniversary in 2023. With a $100 contribution, you will receive:
- A limited-edition enameled bronze pin featuring the official Texas Ranger Bicentennial™ seal
- A certificate signed by an active or distinguished retired Texas Ranger
- Your name or family name on the online roster of Bicentennial Partners™
- A one-time-use family admission ticket (admits 4) to the Museum.
$90 of the contribution qualifies as a charitable contribution. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame is a 170(c) government-owned nonprofit.
Please
click here
to learn more about the program.
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Official Texas Rangers Bicentennial Pin
Trademarked by the Texas Dept. of Public Safety Designed by the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
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Save $1.00 off regular adult admission for up to two adults. Coupon not valid on discounted senior or military admission. No cash value.
The museum is open 9am to 5pm with the last guest admitted at 4:30pm. The museum is located off I-35 and University Parks Drive in Waco, Texas. For more information, call (254) 750-8631 or visit
www.texasranger.org
.
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Newsletter Compiled by Christine Rothenbush, Marketing & Development Specialist
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