Volume 55: 2020

During the spring of 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 disrupted the production of volume 55. The authors who were working on their articles and the editor suspended their work, and they plan to include that scholarship in a later issue. To preserve the continuity of The Record, the editor and support team decided to compile an “emergency” issue for volume 55 around the theme of epidemics that have impacted Southeast Texas. Instead of formal research articles, the content includes a variety of source material arranged around specific (or “acute”) public health events: the epidemics that displaced Native peoples of Southeast Texas, yellow fever, influenza, bubonic plague, and COVID-19. Dr. Margot Gage Witvliet of Lamar University permitted The Record to reprint her essay and provided a follow up about coping with the long-term symptoms of COVID-19. She originally shared her experiences with the online news journal The Conversation, alerting readers to the plight of many survivors who experience persistent, long-term symptoms. Readers may notice several common themes connecting these episodes—such as how disease often followed trade, or how civic and medical leaders struggled to balance public health against economic hardship, or how fear and rumors misinformed communities.

Hope Flores Wins 2019 Johnson Prize

Lamar University history major Hope Flores wins the Dr. Andrew J. and Betty H. Johnson 2019 Editor's Prize for her research essay, "Justice in Public Housing: Desegregation Efforts in Vidor, Texas and Their Impact on National Housing Integration." The Johnson Prize recognizes the best research paper completed by a undergraduate or graduate history student at Lamar. In addition to a cash prize, the winning essay is eligible for publication in a future volume of The Record.

The Record Digitization Project

The Texas Gulf Historical Society has partnered with the Portal of Texas History to digitize past issues of The Record. The Portal is a crucial online resource offered by the University of North Texas Libraries. Once the project is complete, the public will be able to access digital copies and conduct word searches of the entire run of The Record from 1965 to 2018. The process takes time as the Portal takes great care in providing quality online, searchable resources. Check this website for updates.

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