THE POLITE REPLY LETTER I RECEIVED ON FEBRUARY 19, 2008, FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR OF THE 'HANDBOOK OF TEXAS' ENCYCLOPEDIA

 ----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Mark Odintz <markodintz@tshaonline.org>

To: "mcmillanj@att.net" <mcmillanj@att.net>

Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008, 10:37:39 AM CST

Subject: RE: 2-17-08 Proposed New Texas OnLine Encyclopedia Project

Dear Mr. McMillan,

 

This is a follow up to our recent phone conversation. Here is the link to our website- http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/

The New Handbook of Texas was published as a six volume encyclopedia in 1996. In 1999, in cooperation with the University of Texas at Austin, we turned it into the Handbook of Texas Online. We have continued to grow it and update it, and intend, eventually, to add illustrations and maps. We currently have about 25,000 articles, and average about 4 million page visits a month. So, your project already exists.

 

I hope you enjoy the site.

 

 

Mark Odintz

Managing Editor, Handbook of Texas

Texas State Historical Association

Markodintz@tshaonline.org

 

 

 

From: John McMillan [mailto:mcmillanj@att.net]
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 3:54 PM
To: StateSenatorKirkWatson; State Rep. Donna Howard; NationalEndowmentforHumanities; Gov'sOfficeAttyChelseaThornton; UT System Atty Carol Longoria; Texas A&M Chancellor McTeer; TexasTechSystemChancellorHance; Senator Florence Shapiro; State Rep. Rob Eissler; AustinChronicleEditors; Express-News Editor Robert Rivard; DMN Editor Bob Mong; Carter Center for Human Rights; TexasMonthlyPRRepMeta-MargretCarson; psharpe@texasmonthly.com; UT System Chancellor Mark Yudof; UofHAssocGenlCounselValerieColeman-Ferguson; Texas Higher Ed Coordinating Board Genl Counsel William Franz; TEA Assoc Commr Adrain Johnson; TEA Commr Shirley Neeley; StateComptrollerSusanCombs; jdyer@sos.state.tx.us; City of Austin Public Info Coordinator Rivera; Austin Mayor Will Wynn; david.smith@ci.austin.tx.us; U.S. Representative Michael McCaul; SenatorJeffWentworth; ChristianScienceMonitor Editors; Dallas Morning News Reporter Christy Hoppe; ChrisBarbee@LeaderNews; AttorneyGeneralofTexas; Professor Karl Galinsky; UT Vice President/Open Records Administrator; ACCJournalismChairMarcellaPhillips; ACC President Stephen Kinslow; Texas Daily Newspaper Association; TexasPressAssociation; Texas State Univ. Open Records Coordinator; StateBarofTexasDir.JohnEdwards; john.whitmire@senate.state.tx.us; news@kvue.com; news1@westaustinnews.com; nfooter@unt.edu; nationalnews@miamiherald.com
Subject: 2-17-08 Proposed New Texas OnLine Encyclopedia Project

 

February 17, 2008

 

Dear State Representative Donna Howard and State Senator Kirk Watson,

 

As an education-minded, gainfully-employed, and taxpaying single adult male constituent of each of you state legislators who is myself a former newspaper reporter, columnist, photographer, and editor in our beloved state of Texas, I would like to respectfully suggest that each of you consider lending your very influential endorsement to a proposed "New Texas Online Encyclopedia" project.

 

The proposed new online Texas-theme encyclopedia might be modeled after the "New Georgia Encyclopedia," which I learned about today for the first time in the context of Internet research of mine in which I was unable to obtain the correct E-mail address for the Attorney General of Georgia.

 

The website for that online "New Georgia Encyclopedia" is: www.newgeorgiaencyclopedia.org.

 

The introductory page for that website mentions that the "New Georgia Encyclopedia" is an authoritative source of factual information about the people, places, events, and institutions of Georgia. The cite contains approximately 2,000 articles and more than 5,000 images and audio and video clips on the history and culture of Georgia.

 

Please note that the New Georgia Encyclopedia is sponsored by the Georgia Humanities Council in conjunction with the University of Georgia Press, the University System of Georgia, the Office of the Governor of Georgia, and the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education.

 

I am very hopeful that if the State Government of Texas were to assist in the establishment of some similarly authoritative online encyclopedia about Texas and Texans, that would make an invaluable contribution to the educational and intellectual and cultural life of our entire state.

 

The proposed online "New Texas Encyclopedia," which might be available in English as well as in Spanish, would uphold the human and legal right of each and every Texan---regardless of his age or income level or the area where he resides in our state----to have immediate access to factually reliable information about the Lone Star state and its history.

 

State Rep. Howard and Senator Watson, I hope to hear from each of you in regard to whether you are willing to lend your noble support to this proposed public-policy venture for our culturally and politically influential and heavily populous U.S. state of Texas.

 

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

 

John Kevin McMillan, a teetotaling, tobacco-free Texan gentleman with a Master's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communications who is myself currently on the adjunct faculty list for a journalism-teaching position at Austin Community College in Austin, Texas.

11411 Research Boulevard, Apt. 325, Austin, Texas, 78759.

Phone: (512) 342-2295.

E-mail: mcmillanj@att.net

 

with carbon-copies to numerous American cultural leaders, including several media companies based in Texas.

 

John Kevin McMillan