WT’s Spring Lecture Series to Feature Prominent Texas Historian, ‘Landman’ Co-Creator, More

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — This spring, West Texas A&M University’s Distinguished Lecture Series will offer insightful discussions of the cultural prominence of the state of Texas, the law, and the inspiration of a hit Taylor Sheridan show.

The series, which was created to enhance education at WT by inviting people of national prominence to speak to students and the community about important issues, will offer three public events during the spring semester.

"The Distinguished Lecture Series is excited to sponsor three events this spring,” said Dr. Noah Franken, associate professor of communication studies and DLS director. “Two of the events have Texas appeal while the other one features an international speaker. Each one promises to be unique, entertaining, and informative.”

All DLS events are free and open to the public.

Up first, Dr. Benjamin Heber Johnson will give audiences a greater understanding of the Lone Star State in a discussion of his critically acclaimed “Texas: An American History” at 6 p.m. March 5 in the Hazlewood Lecture Hall at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, 2503 Fourth Ave. in Canyon on WT’s campus.

In his book, published Feb. 25, Johnson explores “the multifaceted characters and complex events that have defined (Texas) from its inception through today,” according to the publisher, Yale University Press.

Johnson, a professor of history at Loyola University Chicago, will discuss how Texas has made such an enormous impact on U.S. history, from taming the Wild West through today. A Houston native, Johnson’s previous books include “Revolution in Texas: How a Forgotten Rebellion and Its Bloody Suppression Turned Mexicans into Americans.”

“Ben Johnson is an internationally recognized scholar who studies Texas, the borderlands, and the history of American environmentalism,” said Dr. Tim Bowman, head of WT’s Department of History. “He is an engaging writer and a terrific public speaker. His new book promises to make a big splash in the world of Texas history.”

Then, Dr. Lukasz Korporwicz, associate professor in the Department of Roman Law and vice dean for research at the University of Lodz in Poland, will offer “Sophisticated Legal Tradition? On the Relation Between Common, Canon and Civil Law Once Again.”

Korporwicz will speak at 7 p.m. April 3 in the Thunder Room in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus.

In addition to his public lecture, Korporowicz will meet with Department of History classes and the WT Pre-Law Student Association.

Korporwicz has published more than 60 scientific works, primarily investigating Roman law in England and English legal history.

“A member of the Royal Historical Society, the Selden Society, and the American Society for Legal History, Dr. Korporowicz is an internationally recognized expert on Roman, Canon, and Common Law,” said Dr. Bruce Brasington, WT’s Twanna Caddell Powell Professor of History. “He is dedicated to promoting scholarly exchanges between Poland and the United States; for example, through the institute, he runs at his university that fosters the study of English and American law in Poland. His lecture should interest not only those who want to learn more about the legal history of the West but also anyone who would like to find out more about higher education in Europe.”

The spring DLS events will conclude with a discussion featuring screenwriter and journalist Christian Wallace, whose podcast series “Boomtown” inspired Sheridan’s hit series “Landman.”

“From Boomtown to Landman: Storytelling in the West Texas Oil Patch” will begin at 7 p.m. April 10 in Legacy Hall in the JBK Student Center in a co-presentation with the Center for the Study of the American West’s Garry L. Nall endowed lecture series.

The series was created to honor Dr. Nall’s exceptional service to WT and his scholastic accomplishments. The lecture series supports CSAW’s mission to promote the study of the American West. Each semester, CSAW invites a noted scholar to participate in a community lecture, classroom lecture, a question & answer discussion session, and small group outings with WT students.

Wallace, an Andrews native, was a writer for Texas Monthly when he wrote and hosted “Boomtown.” He then co-created “Landman” with Sheridan.

“CSAW is pleased to bring a speaker who is west Texan himself, said said Dr. Alex Hunt, CSAW director, Regents Professor of English and Vincent-Haley Professor of Western Studies. “He is a terrific writer for Texas Monthly, but of course it’s his recent work as a writer on ‘Landman,’ produced by Taylor Sheridan, that is primarily what drives our interest right now, “I think his example makes the case that wherever you are from, you have a story to tell, and if you tell it well, people will want to read (or watch) it. I’m excited to hear Wallace’s account of how he came to collaborate with Sheridan, for sure.”

Addressing regional challenges and making an impact throughout the region and beyond are key components of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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