Summer Convention June 17-19 in Austin

Texas State History Museum reception kicks off 125th event

“125 Years: Celebrating the Past, Planning the Future” is the theme of Texas Press Association’s 125th Summer Convention June 17-19 at the Omni Hotel Downtown Austin.

Join TPA for a one-of-a-kind look at Texas’ colorful history during a private reception at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum on the convention opening night.

TPA members will be treated to dinner and cocktail reception, self-guided museum tours and best of all a ticket to Texas’ only multimedia special effects theater show in the museum’s Texas Spirit Theater, a 200-seat venue boasting three screens, fixed sets and several thrilling special effects to create a truly unique experience.

The convention speakers and topics are designed to both entertain and inform.

Adm. James Godwin III will discuss “Security in Today’s World” at the keynote breakfast Friday. Godwin is a native Texan and has more than 2,000 hours in the A-7, 2,000 hours in the F/A-18, and more than 915 carrier-arrested landings and is a combat veteran with 34 Desert Storm missions.

Texas story-telling legend Liz Carpenter will weave her humorous tales at the Friday keynote luncheon.
Attorney General Greg Abbott will discuss the state of open government. Last year he obtained the first-known criminal conviction for a violation of the Texas Public Information Act.

Austin American-Statesman cartoonist and Pulitzer winner Ben Sargent will show his cartoons and Dr. Don E. Carleton, director of The University of Texas at Austin Center for American History, will discuss newspapers in Texas history.

Winners in the Better Newspaper Contest will be announced on Saturday along with the Monson FOI Awards.