STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Native Texan George Bristol, a trailblazing conservationist and the 2009 Honorable Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal recipient, will visit Tarleton State University’s W. K. Gordon Center on April 28 to discuss his book, “Texas State Parks: The First 100 Years 1923-2023.”

His presentation begins at 2 p.m. that Sunday. Admission is free. 

Bristol’s devotion to Texas’ landscapes and historic sites has propelled a 20-year movement for increased state park funding and led to his extensive writing on the history of Texas state parks. 

The W. K. Gordon Museum and Research Center is at 65258 Interstate 20, Exit 367, in Mingus and open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays.

The combined museum and special collections library occupies the site of the Thurber ghost town. Visitors enjoy interactive exhibits that explore the birth, operations and slow fade of the property once owned by the Texas and Pacific Coal & Oil Co. 

For more information, call 254-968-1886, email [email protected] or visit www.tarleton.edu/gordoncenter.

A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.