On October 22, 1836, Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas. This past Wednesday, October 22, 2025, marked the 189th anniversary of this event. With a full house…
…including many VIPs, the Museum celebrated in fun style, with the LEAP Ambassadors and a few other volunteers helping with the festivities.
The night started out with an introduction from the museum’s director, Derrick Birdsall, who noted some of the luminaries in the audience, including former President Jim Gaertner…
…artist Lee Jamison…
…Mayor Russell Humphrey…
…Commissioner Bill Daugette…
…General David Glaser…
…Mac and Leanne Woodward, Stephanie Fors…
…and many others. Graciously, he also mentioned the LEAP Ambassadors, who are celebrating their 20th Anniversary as a University group.
More to the point, however, he discussed Sam Houston’s massive legacy.
Matt Bethea also spoke, noting the importance of the Museum to the University and, on a more personal level, observed how this annual celebration was his favorite event!
Finally, Alisa White, President of the university, brought her husband, Elliott Herzlich, to the podium accompanied by much applause.
In a spirited speech, President White extolled many of Sam Houston’s virtues, while highlighting the need to have the courage to lead, even when it can result in mistakes. But everyone, just like Sam Houston, can work to their community better, and in so doing, they are leading.
Birdsall again took the podium, this time to unveil some of the Museum’s new additions. In particular, he pointed to artist Lee Jamison and Bill Dabaghi, who unveiled Jamison’s new portrait of Sam Houston, which will hang in a privileged spot in the rotunda.
Also on display was a new letter that volunteer written by Sam Houston in 1926, when he was a congressman from Tennessee. The letter was found on Ebay, by volunteer Bruce Wiliford…
…and he referred the find to Birdsall. After some sleuthing, Birdsall pulled the trigger and purchased the letter, which shines some light on Houston’s personal life and also larger issues, such as widespread dissatisfaction among elected officials with the electoral college.
We spoke with Mr. Jamison about the painting of Houston along with his painting of Old Main, both of which show how great he is at putting life into his artwork. Through these conversations, we learned about the attention to detail that goes into portraying such historic figures.
The night was filled with engaging conversations, laughter, and lots of learning. From the start of the evening when greeting doors, to the end of the night getting to walk around the museum the event was enjoyable and a great way to get more involved with the community.
Thank you to Derrick Birdsall for inviting us to such a wonderful event, it truly was a joy to hear and learn from everyone who attended!
We look forward to all of the continued impact the museum will have on our town!
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 