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Dr. Jack Byrom

Veramendi Plaza Award of Honor given to Dr. Jack Byrom, Alison Tudor

Events
Thursday, October 13, 2022

The Riverwalk Park Committee of the Heritage Association of San Marcos is happy to honor the recipients of this year’s Veramendi Plaza Award of Honor: Dr. Jack Byrom and Alison Tudor, both of whom have made distinguished contributions to the Heritage Association and to the community of San Marcos. This award (formerly known as the Tree of Honor Award) was established by the Riverwalk Park Committee in June 2000 to recognize the contributions of Heritage Association members who have passed away during the previous year. The Awards will be made at the association’s annual meeting on Oct. 17.

Dr. Byrom was born in San Antonio on March 2, 1929 and died in Richardson on June 10, 2021. When he graduated from high school, he felt a call to the ministry and entered Baylor University as a 17-year-old freshman in 1946.  After graduating from Baylor Jack enrolled in Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Ft. Worth where he earned his master’s degree.

After marrying and starting a family, Jack was called to the First Baptist Church in San Marcos in 1961 and in 1965 he was offered the presidency of the San Marcos Baptist Academy, but turned it down because he first thought that he would be leaving the ministry.  How does one move from the pastorate of a single church to all the responsibilities implied with around 50 faculty and 550 students? The Academy board members were persuasive and Jack took up the position, leading to a long and fruitful career with the Academy, where he was beloved, serving for 31 years. Upon his retirement he was honored with congratulatory letters from the President of the United States, the Governor of Texas and  the Mayor of the City of San Marcos.                                                                

Jack’s contributions ranged into the community life of San Marcos as well. At the time of the nation’s bicentennial Jack was one of the original members of the city’s Bicentennial Commission, which truly inaugurated the great interest in preserving the history of San Marcos. Dr. Byrom was enthusiastic about preservation in San Marcos and became very involved in the newly-formed Heritage Association, serving as the third president of the Association (1977-1978) and staying involved and assisting the Riverwalk Park Committee with its plans and events. He truly helped to launch the Heritage Association into prominence in the San Marcos community.

Alison Tudor was born in Hampton, Virginia on Sept. 27, 1964 and died in San Marcos, Texas on Nov. 14, 2021. She was part of a close-knit family with rich histories going back to the earliest American settlers. Her family’s love for adventure introduced her to a life without boundaries and she was determined to explore all that life had to offer. While earning her Anthropology Degree at Southwest Texas State University, Alison fell in love with the beauty and history of San Marcos and surrounding communities. Her natural curiosity, endless enthusiasm and appreciation for life itself would form the basis for her life experiences. Alison had a passion for nature and experienced it like no other. She was a Master Naturalist and know the names of every native plant, insect, and bird and could even recite their songs!

Alison Tudor

Alison’s most enduring endeavor was the knowledge she acquired of her home, San Marcos. For the past thirty-five years, she dedicated untold hours researching, cataloging, and preserving the region’s historical records, photographs, and resources for future generations. Her most notable work was the creation of the ongoing Facebook page “Historic Photographs of San Marcos & Hays Co.” which chronicles the life experiences of those who shaped San Marcos and Hays County stretching back into the 19th century. Her Facebook group elicited comments from citizens across the spectrum, connecting the histories of our historic white, black and brown communities.

Dr. Byrom and Alison Tudor well-served the Heritage Association and the San Marcos community for many years and are richly deserving of this year’s Veramendi Plaza Award of Honor.

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666