An area known as "The Forum"—an open-air, 2,000 square feet (190 m2) gathering arena where students had heard many speeches and held their graduations—was walled in and the space became the first John E. Conner Museum.
In 1964, when Dr. Conner retired from Texas College of Arts & Industries (renamed in 1929), the Department of History assumed responsibility for the growing collection of historical artifacts and documents.
The mission of the new Archives is to preserve the documentary history, of rural, agricultural south Texas and northern Mexico and make it available for research.
In 2009, the South Texas Archives relocated from Lila Baugh Hall (since demolished) to the James C. Jernigan Library.
Organizational records consisting of correspondence, reports, minutes, financial and legal papers, photographs, printed materials and other documentation produced by a group or corporate activity; 3.
Records are from Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio, and San Patricio County.
F. Truan; State Representative Irma Rangel, and early South Texas political boss and County Judge, J.T.