News Archives

Children Invited to Explore Music and Dance at Austin College Program

BJ Kirkpatrick Austin College, News 02/26/201707/23/2025

Area children are invited to participate in Austin College’s ’Roo Bound program Saturday, March 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., coordinated by the College’s Service Station. This free Saturday morning program is an opportunity for children in kindergarten through 5th grade to spend fun, learning time with members of the Austin College community. This month’s program is titled “Musical March” and students will learn about various musical instruments in the morning and learn some fun dance routines with members of the Austin College Aussies Dance Team and ACtivators after having lunch in the Austin College dining hall in Wright Campus Center, courtesy of the Service Station and Aramark Food Service.

The day of the program, students should arrive between 10:45 and 11 a.m. at the Wright Campus Center entrance off Brockett Street.

Advance registration is requested so that sufficient volunteers and materials will be available and only 50 slots are available. To register or for more information, contact the Austin College Service Station at 903.813.2333 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays or email servicestation@austincollege.edu. To register by email, include the child’s name and grade level, along with the parents’ phone number.

In addition to the special learning opportunity for children, ’Roo Bound, coordinated by Service Station and involving many campus student groups, is designed to expose children to the idea of college in a safe, fun environment. The organizers hope that the program makes college attendance seem accessible to children, particularly those who might be the first in their families to consider college.

The Austin College Service Station is a student-run organization that connects Austin College students available for service with local agencies and groups needing volunteers. Many students do individual service projects in the community; campus organizations often do group projects; others take part in projects such as ’Roo Bound or the College’s annual Great Day of Service, when several hundred students volunteer at more than 40 agencies in the north Texas region.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Dust Bowl Exhibit On Display At The Sherman Museum

BJ Kirkpatrick News 02/26/201707/23/2025

The Sherman Museum announced a new exhibit entitled, “Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry”, will be on display at the museum now through April 3, 2017. The traveling exhibit, on loan from the Oklahoma History Center, focuses on devastating drought and dust storms that wreaked havoc to farmersand ranchers of the Great Plains region during the 1930s. The period witnessed amassive exodus of population from the region, with approximately 60 percent of thepopulation moving to other areas, especially to California and the Far West.

“We are pleased to offer this exhibit in our newly renovated building,” noted DanSteelman, Museum Executive Director. “The Dust Bowl was an ecological disaster of the highest order. Fertile farmland turned to dust. This exhibit analyzes the causes of the disaster and suggests what we can learn from the experience.” “Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry” was organized by the American Library Association, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Dr. Jess C. Porter from the University of Arkansasat Little Rock. Part of the exhibit content was drawn from the Oklahoma State University library and features their Women of the Dust Bowl oral histories. Mount Holyoke CollegeLibrary, which houses the Caroline Henderson papers (letters, essays and articles by awoman who farmed throughout the Dust Bowl) were also an inspiration for the exhibit.

The Sherman Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm on the third Thursday of each month. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, $2.00 for students (ages 6 to17 and with college ID) and FREE for ages 5 and under and museum members. Discounts are available to groups of 10 or more.

About The Sherman Museum
The Sherman Museum is a non-profit 501(c) (3) educational organization devoted to collecting, preserving and interpreting objects of historical significance for visitors and residents of Grayson County and the Greater North Texas Region. The museum was previously known as The Red River Historical Museum prior to a name change in March 2011. For more information about The Sherman Museum contact us at www.theshermanmuseum.org.

The Sherman Museum set to reopen after renovations

BJ Kirkpatrick News 02/13/201707/23/2025

The Sherman Museum will reopen on Tuesday, February 21, 2017. The museum has been closed to the public for the last month while renovations were made to the historic Carnegie Library building. The museum building was restored with funds from local citizens.

“We are so grateful to the community for helping us preserve this building. It is a treasured part of the history of this city,” noted Executive Director, Dan Steelman. The building was constructed in 1914-1915 with funding from the local populace and the Carnegie Foundation. It served as Sherman’s first public library from 1915 until 1972. In 1976, the building became home to the Sherman Historical Museum and has housed the museum continuously since then. For many of those years the building was owned and cared for by the city, however, the city transferred title of ownership for the building to the museum’s Board of Trustees in 2006. The structure is one of 13 remaining Carnegie Library buildings in Texas. It is recognized as a Texas State Landmark and is listed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places.

“We apologize for the inconvenience of closing during the renovations, but we think the public will be very happy with the results.” Steelman said, “This is only the second time we have had to close for extensive work on the building; the other being the addition of our elevator about six years ago.”

About The Sherman Museum The Sherman Museum is a non-profit 501(c) (3) educational organization devoted to collecting, preserving and interpreting objects of historical significance for visitors and residents of Grayson County and the Greater North Texas Region. The museum was previously known as The Red River Historical Museum prior to a name change in March 2011. For more information about The Sherman Museum contact us at www.theshermanmuseum.org.