A French Enclave in the Texas Panhandle, 1878-1898
Saturday Apr 4 |
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
The history of the French in Texas since the 1700s has been chronicled and well documented by Texas historians, who have written at length about the establishment of French explorers in Texas. Yet far less is known about the many families who left France behind and all that was familiar to them, immigrated to the United States in the late 1880s, and answered the call to seek a brighter future in the American West. This presentation will tell the story of a few of those families, who, driven by determination, courage, and hope, established themselves in the Texas Panhandle to work the land and tend cattle. For them, West Texas was a promised land. But did their new reality fulfil their dreams? Join us for this fascinating talk!
Marie Schein, Ph.D., is an Adjunct Instructor of French in TCU’s Department of Modern Language Studies, where she teaches a wide range of courses spanning introductory language study to advanced seminars on French and Francophone culture. She holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Texas, with a dissertation on contemporary Native American literature, as well as master’s degrees in French and English from the University of Colorado Boulder and Université Paul Valéry–Montpellier. Her teaching and curriculum development reflect broad expertise in French and Francophone studies, including Quebec and Louisiana literature, multiculturalism, immigration, and national identity. Schein has led study‑abroad and service‑learning programs in France, contributed to the creation of innovative courses, and earned distinctions such as the Knight in the Order of the French Academic Palms and the Helen Lorenz Excellence in Teaching Award.
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