Kenneth W. Howell, Ph.D.

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Kenneth W. Howell, Ph.D.

Kenneth W. Howell, Ph.D.


Kenneth W. Howell received his B.S. degree in history from the University of Texas at Tyler, his M.A. degree in history from Texas A&M University–Commerce, and his Ph.D. in history from Texas A&M University in College Station. He taught for twelve years in the Texas public school system before moving into higher education. Howell has taught at several colleges and universities during his professional career, including Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University (College Station), North Harris Montgomery Community College (now Lone Star College–Montgomery Campus), and Trinity Valley Community College. He currently serves as a Professor of History and Head of the History Department at Blinn College.

Howell has several publications that focus on the history of Texas and the Old South, including Henderson County, Texas, 1846–1861: An Antebellum History (Eakin Press, 1999); The Devil’s Triangle: Ben Bickerstaff, Northeast Texans, and the War of Reconstruction (Best of East Texas Publisher, 2007; reprint University of North Texas, 2019); Texas Confederate, Reconstruction Governor: James Webb Throckmorton (Texas A&M University Press, 2008); Beyond Myths and Legends: A Narrative History of Texas, 7th edition (Abigail Press, 2023); Seventh Star of the Confederacy: Texas During the Civil War, ed. (University of North Texas Press, 2009); Still the Arena of Civil War: Violence and Turmoil in Reconstruction Texas, 1865–1874 (University of North Texas Press, 2012); Single Star of the West: The Republic of Texas, 1836–1845 (University of Texas Press, 2017); “George Adams: A Cowboy All His Life,” in Black Cowboy of Texas, ed. Sarah Massey (Texas A&M University Press, 2000); “Black Women in the Modern Era, 1974–2000,” in African American Women in Texas: A Collaborative History, eds. Bruce Glasrud and Meriline Pitre (Texas A&M University Press, 2008); and “When the Rabble Hiss, Well May Patriots Tremble: James Webb Throckmorton and the Secession Movement in Texas, 1845–1861,” Southwestern Historical Quarterly (April 2006).

Additionally, Howell has published numerous articles and book reviews in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, East Texas State Historical Journal, Southern Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of the South, The Southern Historian, West Texas Historical Association Yearbook, the Journal of South Texas, Diálogos Latinamericanos, and Central Texas Studies: The Journal of the Central Texas Historical Association.

Handbook Entries

Title Contributor Type
Throckmorton, Ann Rattan [Annie] Author

Commemorating 250 years of American independence through the stories, people, and places that shaped Texas and the nation.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, Texans have a unique opportunity to reflect on the state’s role in the American story. Through exhibitions, programs, educational initiatives, and community events across Texas, Texas America250 encourages celebration, reflection, and commemoration at both local and statewide levels. At the Texas State Historical Association, we are proud to support this important moment through our mission-driven work in history education and public engagement, including Texas History Day, and we invite students, educators, and communities to explore this milestone in meaningful ways.

On July 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the greatest nation in the history of the world. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Long may these ideals live in the heart of every Texan and every American. May God bless all who have defended our freedoms that we enjoy each day. And God bless the United States of America.

Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas

Commemorating 250 years of American independence through the stories, people, and places that shaped Texas and the nation.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, Texans have a unique opportunity to reflect on the state’s role in the American story. Through exhibitions, programs, educational initiatives, and community events across Texas, Texas America250 encourages celebration, reflection, and commemoration at both local and statewide levels. At the Texas State Historical Association, we are proud to support this important moment through our mission-driven work in history education and public engagement, including Texas History Day, and we invite students, educators, and communities to explore this milestone in meaningful ways.

On July 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the greatest nation in the history of the world. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Long may these ideals live in the heart of every Texan and every American. May God bless all who have defended our freedoms that we enjoy each day. And God bless the United States of America.

Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas

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