Avian flu threat spurs A&M System to action

The global flu pandemic of 1918 was the worst infectious disease outbreak in recorded history. By the time it ended, as many as 100 million people—mostly the young and healthy—were dead, many in just a few hours.

If the same outbreak were to occur today, it would kill about 1.5 million Americans, more than die each year from the 10 top causes of death combined, including cancer, heart disease and car wrecks. Recent reports state that in a worst-case scenario, as many as 142 million people could die worldwide, and global economic losses could run to $4.4 trillion.

But while health care practices and technology are far more advanced than their 1918 counterparts, modern air and highway travel mean that the virus could spread around the world in mere hours, overwhelming hospitals and impeding the distribution and delivery of critical items such as groceries and electrical power.

A&M System administrators and researchers are doing their best to stay ahead of the threat of avian flu, which as of mid-February is not contagious among people and has not been found in North America.

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Panhandle Plains Historical Museum: Still the state’s largest

How did the state’s largest historical museum end up at West Texas A&M University?

The story began when Hattie Anderson moved to Canyon in 1920 to teach history at West Texas State Normal College, now West Texas A&M University. She was captivated by the people she met, many of whom were the area’s original settlers, and organized an effort to collect and preserve their history.

In early 1921, Anderson led an effort with History Department Chairman L.F. Sheffy, seven other faculty members and about 30 students to organize the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society and began soliciting support for their efforts in the form of Society memberships.

The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum today

A family studies a painting of a cowboy riding past a wagon train at the museum.

Anderson’s efforts let to what today remains the state’s largest history museum, with 70,000 visitors annually and more than three million artifacts, ranging from the Comanche Chief Quanah Parker’s eagle feather headdress to collections of historic art from New Mexico and Texas.

“This is one of the finest museums in the country and one of the great assets of the A&M System,” said PPHM Director Guy C. Vanderpool. “We are proud of our role in informing visitors about the tremendous cultural heritage of our region and state.”

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