Mary Jon and J. P. Bryan Leadership in Education Award

Award Amount: $5,000


The Mary Jon and J.P. Bryan Leadership in Education Awards are given annually to recognize two outstanding history educators, one each at the K-12 and college levels.

The winning educators will be presented with a certificate and a check for $5,000 at the Association's Annual Meeting. The recipients must be present at the TSHA Annual Meeting to receive the award.

Any person may nominate any full-time educator presently teaching history in a Texas school or college. Letters of nomination sent to the award committee must be postmarked on or before November 15, 2025.

Requirements:
    • Nomination letter for the nominee (from the teacher or other)
    • Nominee's resume or vita, as well as other letters of recommendation
    • Cannot exceed seven pages

Please submit your nomination and supporting materials to:

Mary Jon and J. P. Bryan Leadership in Education Award
Texas State Historical Association
PO Box 5428
Austin, TX 78763

or email your nomination packet to Angel Baldree, Director of Events
[email protected]

Should the committee decide that no entry meets the requirements, they may withhold the award at their discretion.

In the Spotlight / Featured In

Discover where this award has been referenced across the web! Below, you'll find a collection of trusted publications and their entries that have cited our work, helping to share Texas history with the world.

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

Find Events

Discover commemorative events across Texas

Explore local and statewide programs, exhibitions, and public events connected to the semiquincentennial and the many stories that shape our shared history.

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Participate through education and community engagement

Learn how students, teachers, families, and local communities can take part in Texas America250 through activities, programs, and opportunities tied to Texas History Day and beyond.

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Explore the initiative and its broader purpose

Learn more about Texas America250 and the effort to promote deeper understanding of the nation’s founding and the contributions of Texans past and present.

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