Published: October 03, 2009 12:48 pm      

De la Teja featured speaker at Tuesday Genealogy meeting

San Marcos — Dr. Jesus (Frank) de la Teja will be the guest speaker at the San Marcos - Hays County Genealogical Society meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the LDS Church, 120 Sun Crest in San Marcos

Dr. de la Teja, professor and chairman of the Department of History at Texas State University, will give a speech titled “"Why Urbano and Maria Trinidad Can't Get Married: Social Relations in Early Texas."

In May 2007, De la Teja was sworn in as the first Texas State Historian; he also served as president of the Texas State Historical Association in 2007-2008. He earned his PhD. at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in Latin American history.  He has worked in the Archives and Records Division of the Texas General Land Office, where he developed an interest in serving the family history community. 

De la Teja has also published extensively on Spanish, Mexican, and Republic-era Texas history  and assisted in content development for the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Dr. de la Teja has received the Americanism Medal from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and in March 2009 was inducted as an honorary member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas. Currently, he serves as an expert reviewer of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Social Studies standards for the State Board of Education. 

For more information call 396-2978.