Statement from WT President Walter V. Wendler About Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

West Texas A&M University President Walter V. Wendler:

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us. I have a brief statement addressing the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, after which I am glad to answer your questions.

For five decades, West Texas A&M University has unsuccessfully sought to secure additional funding for the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum which houses the artifacts owned by the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society. State funding for the Museum has decreased 65 percent since 1984 after changes were made by the Texas Legislature.

I invite you to refer to a detailed timeline which can be found at wtamu.edu/PPHMtimeline . This will show you all the museum-related efforts since my arrival a decade ago addressing issues and attempting to secure funding for the Museum.

As hard as we have tried, West Texas A&M University has not been successful in securing funds for modifications to the Museum to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all who use the building. On December 10 ^th, Mark White, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Amarillo College and Panhandle-Plains Historical Society spokesman, announced that the Society is developing a plan to relocate the collection.

I acknowledge and lament the circumstances over the past 40 years which have led to the collection outliving the useful life of the Museum facilities, which have necessitated closing the Museum. I applaud the Society's ongoing efforts to preserve and display the collection.

Serving students is WT's highest priority, and we take that seriously as an educational arm of the State of Texas. We are doing everything possible to reduce student indebtedness. We have demonstrated success in these efforts and, over the past decade, have decreased undergraduate indebtedness by more than 25%. Providing a valuable and exceptional educational experience to ensure students graduate and succeed is job one.

In a letter delivered today, I have asked the Society to submit a plan by February 1, 2026, that will outline the transfer of artifacts from the Museum to an appropriate location. Since the Museum is functioning as a storage facility for the Society's artifacts, I also have requested that the Society split the monthly costs of maintenance and utilities until such time as the museum building is completely vacated.

Funds used by WT to support the Museum, which currently amounts to $99,347.87 per month, comes from the general University budget. Last year, that translated into $128.79 per student to operate the Museum. Since 2018, the state has provided an additional $22,211.42 per month. Unlike other entities such as cities, counties and community colleges which have taxing authority in the districts they serve, WT has no way to collect such funding for the Museum.

Personally, I believe finding or building a facility on or near Interstate 40 in Amarillo that could house the Society's collection makes sense. In fact, that idea has been raised and explored previously.

I believe the Society's current executive leadership-which includes a CPA, a wealth advisor, a bank president and an attorney-possesses the expertise to successfully plan and execute a path forward for the collection.

WT wants and prays for the Society to succeed in preserving and displaying the collection to benefit the Panhandle and State of Texas.

Thank you, and I will now take questions.