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STEPHENVILLE (March 17, 2015) — September 2015 will be the 75th anniversary of the commissioning of Camp Bowie in Brown County, Texas by the United States War Department in 1940. To mark the anniversary, Tarleton State University will join with Howard Payne University and the Brown County Museum of History to offer a symposium from September 16-18 on the Howard Payne campus in Brownwood.
One of the US Army’s largest training facilities in Texas during World War II, the base operated from 1940-1946, and more than a quarter-million soldiers trained at the base. It also housed a German POW camp. In addition to having a major impact on the region, the camp facilities, land and roads have continued to serve the residents and businesses of the area as well as the Texas National Guard and US Army.
The symposium will offer presentations on Camp Bowie, the history of military installations in Texas, the legacy and contributions of those who served in WWII from the region, and other related topics. The event will bring together faculty and students from both universities, as well as military scholars, researchers, and local dignitaries and residents.
The event will be coordinated with the opening of a new exhibit at the Brown County Museum of History, “A Tribute to Those Who Served.” The exhibit will highlight Camp Bowie, the role of the 36th Division in WWII, area veterans and the regional contribution to the war effort.
Additional related events being planned include a concert by the 36th Division Infantry Band on Sept. 12, a WWII reenactment on the weekend of Sept. 18, a memorial event at Camp Bowie, and participation in these events and the Brownwood Reunion parade by the ROTC Texan Battalion from Tarleton.
Sponsorships for the Symposium are available as the event will include a tour of the new museum exhibit, a social event for conference participants, bus tours of the Camp Bowie area, and a proposed banquet for community, state, military and university leaders in honor of the anniversary. All donations and sponsorships will help underwrite the event and support the ongoing preservation of this unique history by the Brown County Museum.
More details will be released in the months ahead, and an event website will be available soon. Conference presentation proposals should be sent to morrow@tarelton.edu.
For interviews and information on sponsorships and the symposium, contact the following coordinators from each institution:
• Brown County Museum of History
Ms. Beverly Norris, Coordinator – “A Tribute to Those Who Served” Exhibit
hilltop.farm@verizon.net
325-647-7879
• Howard Payne University
Dr. W. Mark Tew, Provost and Chief Academic Officer
mtew@hputx.edu
325-649-8042
• Tarleton State University
Dr. Eric V. Morrow, Interim Head – Department of Social Sciences
morrow@tarleton.edu
325-642-1340
Donations for the event can be sent to the Brown County Museum of History, P.O. Box 2006, Brownwood, TX 76804.
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