The 2026 Distinguished Speaker Lecture & Texas Frontier Gold Medal Award

Robert Edsel is recognized as one of the world’s foremost advocates for the preservation of our shared cultural heritage and the recovery of artworks missing since World War II. Following a successful career in oil and gas exploration, Edsel has devoted the last two decades to honoring the legacy of the Monuments Men and Women.

Mr. Edsel is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of five non-fiction books, including Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and a Forever Promise Forged in World War II, hailed by historian Donald L. Miller as “one of the outstanding works of our time.” His second book, The Monuments Men, inspired the 2014 film by Academy Award recipient George Clooney. Mr. Edsel was also co-producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary, The Rape of Europa.

In 2007, Edsel founded the Monuments Men and Women Foundation, recipient of the National Humanities Medal, our nation’s highest honor for work in the humanities. 

Among his many honors are the Texas Medal of the Arts; the President’s Call to Service Award; the Foundation for the National Archives’ Records of Achievement Award; the Decoration of Honor Meritorious for Polish Culture for his distinguished contributions to Polish culture and heritage; and recognition as an Honorary Member of the U.S. Army 88th Infantry Division.

In 2015, he participated in the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal honoring the Monuments Men and Women. In 2022, he was named an honorary graduate of the first U.S. Army Monuments Officer Training Program—two milestones he had long championed and helped bring to fruition after years of advocacy.

In 2025, alongside the release of Remember Us, the Monuments Men and Women Foundation launched The Forever Promise Project to connect American families with the Dutch adopters of their fallen loved ones’ graves, continuing Mr. Edsel’s commitment to honor our veterans.

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.