The Texas State History Museum Foundation announced that philanthropist and historic preservation advocate John L. Nau III and filmmaker Taylor Sheridan will receive the History-Making Texan Award at its 23rd annual Texas Independence Day Dinner.
The dinner is scheduled for March 2, 2027, at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. Debbie Raynor of Dallas will chair the event, while Jan Felts Bullock of Austin will serve as honorary chair, according to the foundation.
The foundation presents the award to living Texans whose contributions to the state and nation it considers historic and exceptional in scope. Proceeds from the annual dinner support educational programs and special projects at the Bullock Museum.
“Our honorees are national leaders whose accomplishments have elevated Texas’ distinctive place on the national and international stage,” Raynor said in the September 29 foundation release. “John L. Nau, III and Taylor Sheridan have each, in very different ways, helped tell the Texas story — one through the preservation of our history and treasured places, the other through the power of storytelling that has brought Texas and the American West to audiences around the world.”
Nau’s Preservation Work
Nau has served as chairman of the Texas Historical Commission and has held leadership or board roles with organizations focused on historic preservation and American history. Gov. Greg Abbott reappointed Nau to the commission in 2021 for a term scheduled to expire February 1, 2027.
The Texas Historical Commission also named its Award of Excellence in Museums for Nau. The award recognizes achievement in historical interpretation, museum education, conservation of collections, or community involvement.
Sheridan’s Texas Storytelling
Sheridan owns the Four Sixes Ranch and Bosque Ranch in Texas and has built a film and television career around stories of the American West. His credits include Yellowstone, 1883, 1923, Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King and Lioness.
Sheridan also wrote the films Sicario and Hell or High Water and wrote and directed Wind River. The Texas Business Hall of Fame inducted him in 2024.
Provided by Dallas Express
