How you can bear in mind the historic shrine
by Jennifer R. Lloyd (M.B.A. ’16)
Ernesto Rodriguez III (B.A. ’96, M.A. ’04) likes to joke that St. Mary’s College “was so good, I went there twice.”
Now, because the senior historian on the Alamo, the identical may very well be stated of his childhood and grownup journeys to the sacred shrine on the nexus of Texas legend and truth.
The work of historians in public roles, like Rodriguez’s, can construct an consciousness of the aspects of historical past beforehand unknown but related to a deeper understanding of recent occasions, delicately navigating by means of political and different pursuits to coach the neighborhood.
From their dwelling not removed from St. Mary’s College, Rodriguez’s mom took him, his siblings and a cousin downtown on the bus for a summertime journey throughout his childhood.
Throughout that first go to to the location at age 7, he shared that one thing concerning the Alamo did mild up his eyes — nevertheless it wasn’t the limestone structure, preserved weaponry or the flexibility to assist form the narrative Texans inform of themselves.
“We got here to the Alamo, and I bear in mind wanting on the grounds within the again and considering to myself, I might like to work there, nevertheless it was due to all of the timber,” Rodriguez stated. “As a child, you need to climb timber.”
Shopping for a bullwhip within the Alamo present store amid the Indiana Jones movie period didn’t damage his love of the place both.
It wasn’t till years later, wrapping up his Master of Arts in History, that he discovered his calling to the historical past of the place by means of the research of colonial-era paperwork written in Spanish.
Informing within the public eye
A number of public historians, like Rodriguez, have graduated from Historical past applications at St. Mary’s and leaped into high-profile roles. These professionals discover pleasure in decoding historical past in real-world settings, sharing it with the neighborhood and enlightening others by contextualizing the area and its journey.
Cristal Mendez (M.A. ’21), the historian for the San Antonio African American Neighborhood Archive and Museum (SAAACAM), is one other San Antonio native who took her Public Historical past diploma into work earlier than the general public eye.
“With the ability to do that work can be like a love letter to my metropolis, as a result of I’m attending to be taught all this historical past, after which I’ve a possibility to share it,” Mendez stated. “That’s what public historical past is, having the ability to share the story.”
Some historians, corresponding to Jesús “Frank” de la Teja, the inaugural Texas State Historian in 2007, who lives in Austin, mirrored that the work of a public historian at websites just like the Alamo may be fraught with problems created by political controversies or enterprise neighborhood influences. Although primarily an educational historian, de la Teja was briefly a public historian because the archivist for the Texas Basic Land Workplace.
An instance of public scrutiny is happening through the 2025 Texas Legislative session, which, as of printing, is discussing who ought to have oversight of the Alamo, which is at the moment underneath the course of the Basic Land Workplace.
“Public historical past has grow to be controversial as a result of, identical to so many different points of American life, it’s been politicized,” he stated. “The house within the center, the place public historians must attempt to function, turns into tough since you’re caught within the crossfire.”
Mendez helps SAAACAM protect and share the story of San Antonio’s African American descendants because the group prepares its huge new house contained in the Kress constructing on Houston Road close to the Alamo.
“It’s such a revolutionary time to be a public historian in San Antonio. I’m so happy with our St. Mary’s of us for being a part of that,” Mendez stated. “It’s an honor to serve my neighborhood as a result of I grew up with tales of the Alamo and likewise was a kind of of us who didn’t know the fuller story. I be taught issues daily from our neighborhood, and it’s so thrilling to have a front-row seat.”
Rodriguez stated his household connection to the Spanish missions started together with his father’s start on the grounds of Mission San Francisco de la Espada, in a house that used to take a seat throughout from the church. His father shared a love of historical past and tradition throughout holidays to go to household in Mexico, stopping by museums, church buildings and different websites alongside the best way.
Although his father had a third-grade training and his mom, who was born in Mexico, attended college till about eighth grade, each prioritized training for his or her 4 kids, all of whom attended St. Mary’s.
Of his siblings, Rodiguez stated his brother Eiginio Rodriguez studied at St. Mary’s however grew to become a firefighter earlier than graduating; his brother Eddie Rodriguez earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1989 earlier than incomes a Ph.D. elsewhere; and his sister Angelica Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1999 and a Grasp of Arts in Instructional Management in 2018.
“To be a historian, it’s a must to do the tedious work of discovering the information, accumulating the information, generally transcribing the information, clipping the information, after which after that, making sense of it. You must have this temperament to take a seat there and, after all, this unbelievable curiosity about what’s coming subsequent. He had all of that.”
Gerald Poyo, Ph.D.
When Ernesto Rodriguez enrolled at St. Mary’s, he already had his main chosen — History. When he advised his mother and father what he’d be finding out, his father urged him onward to do what he cherished greatest, including, “Don’t go right into a profession for the cash, as a result of in case you don’t like what you do, you’ll by no means be joyful even while you’re getting cash. Do what you like to do.”
Rodriguez, who adopted the recommendation, stated, “Little did I do know that I might find yourself right here on the Alamo. I get to do what I like.”
Rodriguez, who was baptized at Holy Rosary Catholic Church neighboring the College, stated he was basically raised within the arms of the Marianist neighborhood. When he started working on the Alamo, he discovered that the previous Franciscan church, although by no means accomplished, was presupposed to be devoted to the Immaculate Conception.
“So, Mary has been a giant a part of my entire life,” he stated.
Rodriguez joined the work of the Alamo in 1999 underneath the auspices of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
He was wanted to work of their library for his expertise working within the College’s Blume Library and his capacity to decipher outdated Spanish texts, a ability he discovered by means of encouragement from Professor Emeritus of Historical past Gerald Poyo, Ph.D., who retired in June after holding the O’Connor Chair for the Historical past of Hispanic Texas and the Southwest for a few years.
Poyo inspired Rodriguez to enterprise to the Bexar Archives to investigate the microfilm of handwritten colonial paperwork, such because the Spanish governor’s papers and paperwork from the incorporation of Texas into the USA.
“To be a historian, it’s a must to do the tedious work of discovering the information, accumulating the information, generally transcribing the information, clipping the information, after which after that, making sense of it,” stated Poyo, including that Rodriguez was very affected person with the method. “You must have this temperament to take a seat there and, after all, this unbelievable curiosity about what’s coming subsequent. He had all of that.”
Having taken a number of Spanish lessons at St. Mary’s, Rodriguez seemed on the archival paperwork and discovered to translate outdated lettering and “to like the neighborhood of Texas differently.”
He continues that work on the Alamo — adopted dutifully by means of his day by Bella, the official Alamo cat. The Alamo, established in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero, “is the primary of the Spanish missions in Texas that succeeds,” Rodriguez stated.
“That is the place the start of the Texan identification is, proper? And so, it’s a spark,” he stated. “Then in 1836, it’s a bonfire. Now, we’re simply feeding the bonfire, proper? You must know the place you come from to know the place you’re going.”
The place the Alamo goes is towards changing into a world-class museum. The Alamo already receives greater than 1.6 million guests a 12 months and is the most-visited vacation spot within the state. With an immense museum building venture underway throughout from the mission to enrich the work of historians and archaeologists uncovering the previous, Rodriguez has discovered a brand new degree of pleasure.
“Each little piece fills within the puzzle,” he stated. “When you consider the Alamo story usually, and all of our tales, we’re all linked. It’s a tapestry of what’s San Antonio, and each thread issues. We’re putting every thread again the place it belongs.”
