Next to the American Folklore Society, The Texas Folklore Society is the oldest folklore organization continually functioning in the United States. Chartered in 1909, the Society held its first meeting on the campus of the University of Texas in 1911. Mrs. Bess Brown Lomax was on the program with a paper on the now famous "Boll Weevil" song, which Lomax had collected in the Brazos bottom in 1909. Annual meetings have continued regularly since 1911, except for interruptions in 1918-1921 and 1944-1945 caused by the great wars and their aftereffects.

The Society has stimulated the recording and study of the rich folk culture of Texas and the Southwest, has attracted both laymen and scholars, and has distributed its publications throughout America and the world.

The Society meets Easter weekend, when members read papers on a variety of folklore subjects. On Thursday night there is a "hootenanny" and on Friday night a dinner with an invited speaker or other entertainment. All sessions are open to the public.

Our emblem is the roadrunner, called paisano by border folk, which epitomizes the free spirit of the brush country. J. Frank Dobie chose the paisano for the Society, and for himself, years ago.

A History of the Texas Folklore Society (1909-1979) by F. E. Abernethy

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