In 1821, Stephen F. Austin, known as the “Father of Texas,” made a contract to bring 300 families to the Spanish province, which now is Texas. By 1823, probably more than 600 to 700 people were in Texas, hardy colonists from the various portions of the United States at that time, who settled not far from the Gulf of Mexico.
There was no regular army to protect them, so Austin called the citizens together and organized a group to provide the needed protection. Austin first referred to this group as the Rangers in 1823, for their duties compelled them to range over the entire country, thus giving rise to the service known as the Texas Rangers. By the late 19th century, the Texas Rangers began to evolve from their military origins into law enforcers. That evolution took its most substantial leap in 1935, when the Rangers were combined with the highway patrol to create the Department of Public Safety. From there, they continued to evolve into Texas’ most elite criminal investigative body, earning the respect of officers and agencies the world over.
The Texas Rangers Heritage Center was built for the purpose of preserving and promoting that legacy with a 12-acre site that will be the future home of a world-class educational facility, located on Hwy 290 in Fredericksburg, TX. On August 7, 2021 we will again celebrate the memory of all those who have worn and those who currently wear the badge of a Ranger with the 4th Annual Texas Rangers Day. This event features a history symposium as well as education programs for the general public, food vendors, collections of Texas Ranger memorabilia, living history ranger camps and cannon demonstrations.
This year’s theme is the about the duties of the modern Texas Rangers, elite investigators of Texas Department of Public Safety. The symposium will feature a number of speakers, including Chief of the Texas Rangers, Chance Collins, for the keynote, followed by Captains Wende Wakeman, Dr. James Thomas, and Melba Saenz.
Chance Collins was promoted to Division Director and Chief of the Texas Rangers Division in April 2018. Chief Collins previously served as the Regional Director for DPS Region 7 – Capitol Region in Austin. Prior to that, he served as the Assistant Division Director for the Texas Rangers. Collins began his career with DPS in 1993, and his previous assignments include Commander of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team; Texas Ranger Reconnaissance Team; Texas Ranger Major of Company “F” in Waco; and Texas Ranger in San Antonio, Harlingen and Houston. Prior to his 15 years with the Texas Ranger Division, Collins held positions as a special agent on the Governor’s Protective Detail, and Texas Highway Patrol trooper in Perryton, Austin and Georgetown. He is a former member of the Ranger Officer Involved Shooting Committee, Crime Scene Investigation Committee, and the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program. Collins has a Bachelor of Science degree from Wayland Baptist University, graduated the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, the DPS Command College, and the National Forensic Academy at the University of Tennessee.
Wende Wakeman is one of the first two female Ranger captains in DPS history, having been promoted to that rank in September, 2020. Cpt. Wakeman first joined DPS 22 years ago in 1998. She was a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper in Sulphur Springs and New Caney before being promoted to narcotics sergeant in 2003. In 2008, Wakeman joined the Texas Rangers in Conroe. In 2014, she was promoted to lieutenant and was stationed in Laredo, marking the first time in agency history that a woman was promoted to the rank of Ranger lieutenant. She transferred to Huntsville in 2015, where she has served until this most recent promotion. Wakeman is a graduate of the National Forensics Academy, the International Association of Chiefs of Police Women’s Leadership Institute and the DPS Command College. She has also completed the FBI Leadership Trilogy and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University. Wakeman’s duties in Austin include helping oversight of specialized law enforcement teams within the Rangers.
Melba Saenz became the first female Ranger captain in DPS history when she promoted to that rank in May 2020. Cpt. Saenz joined DPS in 2003 after serving as a police officer in Mission and with the McAllen Independent School District. She was stationed as a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper in McAllen for several years before joining the Texas Rangers in 2008 in Laredo. In 2015, Saenz was promoted to lieutenant in Edinburg, where she managed three Joint Operations Intelligence Centers (JOICs) and field operations for the Drawbridge Program in South Texas.
In May 2020, Saenz was promoted to captain and remains stationed in Edinburg, where she is now managing six JOICs from El Paso to the Rio Grande Valley, while continuing to manage the field operations for the Drawbridge Program. Saenz was recognized by the FBI for a joint aggravated kidnapping investigation and the recovery of a 5-year-old child, and by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for a high-profile joint corruption investigation in South Texas. She is also a graduate of the DPS Leadership Development School and DPS Leadership College.
James Thomas, PhD., the first Ranger in modern history known to hold a doctoral degree, was promoted to the rank of captain in September 2020. Cpt. Thomas graduated from the DPS Academy in 2002 and worked as a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper in Anahuac, Bryan, Madisonville, Mont Belvieu and Baytown. In 2011, he was promoted to Special Agent within the Criminal Investigations Division in Houston, where he served in the gang unit. In 2013, Thomas was appointed as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal with the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force in Houston. In 2015, he joined the Texas Rangers in El Paso. Three years later, he was promoted to lieutenant and was stationed in Waco. In addition to his service with DPS, Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Lamar University, a master’s degree in behavioral science from the University of Houston-Clear Lake and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Lamar University. Thomas’ duties in Austin include supervising the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and the Forensic Artists program.
We are also excited to welcome back Justice Ken Wise, 14th Court of Appeals-Houston and Wise About Texas Podcaster, as the Master of Ceremonies for the 2021 Texas Rangers Day History Symposium.
The Texas Rangers Day History Symposium will begin at 10am on August 7th, and conclude at 2pm. Tickets are necessary for the event due to current COVID-19 standards and can be purchased by calling 830-990-1192; $30 in advance through July 22, 2021, then $50 thereafter, up until the day of the event. Lunch and parking are included. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!
RAFFLE NOTICE: Don’t forget to buy your ticket for a chance to win a rare Smith & Wesson Texas Rangers Sesquicentennial Bowie Knife serial #9638 in custom wood etched presentation case, and the Sesquicentennial Cpt. Leander McNelly Medallion. $20.00 per ticket/3 for $50.00 Tickets available by calling 830-990-1192, or in person at the symposium. Drawing to be held after the symposium, attendance not required to win.
The Texas Rangers Heritage Center, which opened Phase I in the fall of 2015, is an ongoing project of the Former Texas Rangers Association and the Former Texas Rangers Foundation. The FTRA was founded in 1897 and exists to preserve the true history of the Texas Rangers, to maintain and operate a museum dedicated to the Texas Rangers, to establish landmarks related Ranger history, to administer a scholarship program and to bring Former Rangers, Rangers and Ranger families together for fellowship, support and mutual purpose.
Since the Foundation’s establishment in 1971, to support the efforts of the oldest officially recognized Texas Ranger Organization – the FTRA, the Foundation has focused its sights on serving current and former Texas Rangers, their families and their rich and storied contributions to Texas history.
Visitors to the Center will be able to tour the landmarks of Phase I which include the Open Air Pavilion, Campanile bell tower, Ranger Ring of Honor and the history this project seeks to preserve for generation of people to come.
Texas Rangers Heritage Center, 1618 E. Main St. Fredericksburg, Texas 78624, 830-990-1192 [email protected].
This year’s event is sponsored by Spirit of Texas Bank. Texans Helping Texans.
