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NARRATOR: On the Far East Side of campus lives a treasure trove of information, a reservoir
of artifacts too rich to categorize with a traditional title. It’s called the Dolph
Briscoe Center for American History, named after the former Texas Governor and philanthropist.
And it’s here, behind these walls and in these boxes, that those looking to rediscover
history, can visit, and explore.
>> BRENDA GUNN: The mission here at the Briscoe Center is to provide access to these wonderful
research assets that the University of Texas has. We are open to the public and the material
that we have documents a variety of topics in Texas and American history.
>> DON CARLETON: We aren’t a museum, we aren’t an archive, and we aren’t a library.
We are a history center. All of those things are integrated into one for a purpose. To
support research and teaching
>> BRENDA GUNN: We have eighty thousand linear feet of material. Millions of photographs,
250,000 collection special library.
>> DON CARLETON: We have the largest Texanna collection in existence. We have the Colonial
records for the Spanish Texas, for example, called the Bejar archives. We have Sam Houston’s
papers, Stephen F. Austin’s papers.
>> BRENDA GUNN: We also contribute to scholarship by doing our own research. We produce films,
exhibitions our wonderful book publishing program, all of that comes together in a really
wonderful way to promote stories of our culture in this country. There are probably no doubt
discoveries in every box and they’re waiting for folks to walk in our door, open the box
up, and uncover them.