The 2026 Distinguished Speaker Lecture & Texas Frontier Gold Medal Award

Now in its fifth year, The Bryan Museum's Distinguished Speaker and Award was conceived to be given to an intellect (writer, teacher, speaker, influencer) who has distinguished him or herself as an outstanding and eloquent advocate for the preservation and promotion of the history and culture of the state of Texas and the West.

The Bryan Museum's Texas Frontier Gold Medal Award pays homage to the gold medal award presented to the last surviving participant of the Battle of San Jacinto, Alphonso Steele (1817-1911) who was 92 years old when he received the medal. The medal, an exact replica of the 1909 Gold Medal Award, features an image of General Sam Houston on the front and is presented annually to individuals with roots in Texas and the American West who have distinguished themselves as exceptional and impassioned champions of our shared heritage.