Today, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced that the Texas General Land Office (GLO) Save Texas History Program's 5th Annual Top Texan Tournament has begun.
"The history of our great state should be remembered for generations to come,” said Commissioner George P. Bush. "Texas history is comprised of larger than life figures, men and women who have helped shape our great state. Whether they're founding fathers and mothers, war heroes, suffragettes, civil rights leaders, artists, or presidents, we have a history of greatness here in Texas. The General Land Office’s annual Top Texan Tournament is a fun opportunity to learn more about these historical leaders as they compete for which figure should claim the title ‘Top Texan.’”
The Top Texan Tournament allows users to vote for their favorite Texan among 64 famous figures throughout our state's history. Voting can be accessed at the Save Texas History website. The field has been evenly split between Texas history’s most notable 32 men and 32 women. This year, however, three-time winner Sam Houston has retired, opening the door for a new Top Texan to be crowned.
The tournament will last through the beginning of April. Similar to NCAA March Madness, Texans will be able to submit their bracket predictions before voting begins for a chance to win history-themed prizes. The deadline to submit bracket predictions is Sunday, March 22.
The tournament features six voting rounds following the prediction round, with the final voting round closing on Thursday, April 9 at 11:59 p.m. The technology used to power the bracket will automatically rank users after each round based on the accuracy of their predictions.
The grand prize includes special items from the GLO's Save Texas History Program: an "I Saved Texas History" t-shirt; the book Connecting Texas: 300 Years of Trails, Rails & Roads which features over 40 maps from the GLO; a historic Texas map reproduction from the GLO Archives, and other great prizes! The top point earner for each of the first five rounds will also receive a special prize from the Save Texas History Program.
About Save Texas History
Created in 2004, the Save Texas History program is a statewide initiative to rally public support and private funding for the preservation and promotion of the historic maps and documents housed in the GLO Archives, and serves as a resource for teaching and digitizing Texas history. If you would like to donate to the Save Texas History program to adopt a document or map, assist with archival acquisitions, develop educational programs, or support digital projects, please visit SaveTexasHistory.org . Follow Save Texas History on Facebook at Facebook.com/SaveTXHistory and Twitter at Twitter.com/SaveTXHistory .