The Graduate School
James Wright Steely
Historian of Texas architecture
M.A., UT Austin
In the early 1980s, Jim Steely was a graduate student at The University of Texas, studying architectural history and restoration. While completing his degree, Steely also worked part-time at the Texas Historical Commission. Now, some fifteen years later, Steely is the Chief Historian of that same agency. In addition, he serves higher education in the state by returning to The University of Texas at Austin every spring as a lecturer in the graduate program.
For Steely, graduate school in the state of Texas was meaningful for both what happened on campus and off. "My instructors, especially those who became mentors, offered a high quality education and continue to remain my friends and advisors. The facilities of the university - the libraries, buildings, proximity to community - are in many cases second to none."
What the state could offer off-campus was no less important. "To historians and students of architectural history, Texas presents a vast laboratory as a crossroads of cultures from around the world. From ancient mound builders and high plains horsemen, French shipwrecks and Spanish missions, to Manifest Destiny and Chinese railroad builders, historic Texas offers broad instruction outside of the classroom."
As Steely pursues his career dedicated to celebrating Texas' architectural significance, the quality of what he received as a Texas graduate student is clear. "In my program of history and historic preservation, I encounter few colleagues nationwide who obtained better educations than offered by my graduate program in Texas."