Hill College’s Texas Heritage Museum receives Institute of Museum and Library Services highest award

  Ashlee Ferguson
  Friday, February 20, 2026 10:18 AM
  Texas Heritage Museum

Hillsboro, TX

On February 17, 2026, The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced that the Texas Heritage Museum (THM) at Hill College was named one of five museums in the country to receive the IMLS National Medal, the highest honor for museums and libraries in the United States that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities by supporting and promoting lifelong learning to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The Texas Heritage Museum is the first community college in the United States, out of nearly 1,500 nationwide community colleges, to be recognized as an IMLS National Medal recipient and the first academic museum out of 226 in the State of Texas to receive this honor.

Each year, up to 10 institutions in the country are awarded the national medal—five museums and five libraries. Since 1994, IMLS has presented this award to outstanding libraries and museums of all types and sizes that deeply impact their communities.

The museum’s nomination was submitted by longtime supporter of Hill College, Congressman Jake Ellzey, who is serving his third term as representative of the 6th Congressional District of Texas, in recognition of the museum’s service and honor to veterans, students, historians, educators, and communities across Texas as well as visitors from all over the nation.

“When I nominated the museum for this award, I wasn’t just thinking about artifacts behind glass. I was thinking about the heart of this place where education, history, and service all come together. A place where students learn surrounded by stories of courage, sacrifice, and resilience, the very stories that have shaped Texas and the United States,” said Congressman Ellzey. “I couldn’t be more proud to see this honor come to Hill County. Hill College has shown that greatness isn’t about size; it’s about purpose—the purpose to educate, to honor, and to carry the stories about Texas forward.”

“Congressional support is an essential step in the IMLS selection process, and the community of Hill College and the Texas Heritage Museum is deeply grateful to Congressman Ellzey and his team for championing the museum’s achievements and statewide impact,” said Executive Director & Chief Curator of the Texas Heritage Museum John Versluis.

In the last 30 years, only 232 institutions—museums and libraries combined—have received the National Medal. The IMLS National Medal award is three times rarer than a Pulitzer Prize and twice as rare as a Nobel Prize when measured over the same period—making this recognition one of the most exclusive honors in the United States of educational and cultural institutions—placing THM among the most distinguished museum institutions in America.

This award recognizes libraries and museums nationwide who demonstrate a deep impact in the communities they serve. To be honored, institutions must show a dedication to fostering lifelong learning for all people of all ages by providing access to information through advancing digital availability when it comes to informational resources, e-books, and other online materials to further education. Institutions must also show a commitment to enriching the lives of members of the community by providing spaces for connection and conversation as well as preserving natural and cultural heritage.

“I am honored to have had the opportunity to award the National Medal for Museum and Library Service to these exceptional cultural institutions. They truly represent some of the best that the museum and library fields have to offer America and its citizens,” said Acting Director of IMLS and Deputy Director of Labor Keith Sonderling.

Established in 1964, the museum serves as the cultural and historical cornerstone of the college. It provides opportunities for integrated college courses by allowing instructors to utilize the collection as a compliment to coursework; military and veteran engagement through exhibitions and the annual Medal of Honor Brick Ceremony; Texas history preservation and scholarship, research, archival development through exhibitions, and preserving history in the archives; K–12 and higher education programming; and community partnerships and statewide outreach.

The museum houses over 25,000 historical artifacts, and the Historical Research Center (HRC), a subdivision of the museum, houses over 15,000 publications and over 700 cubic feet of archive collections. In 2009, the Texas legislature established the THM as the site for the Official Texas State Medal of Honor Memorial to Native-born Texans. In the second edition of his book Genealogical Resources of the Civil War Era: Online and Published Military or Civilian Name Lists, 1861–1869 & Post-War Veteran Lists, published in 2017, historical scholar William Dollarhide named the HRC one of the top six most important Civil War resource centers in the nation.

“The Texas Heritage Museum embodies the values of excellence, education, and community engagement. Its contributions to the field of museum studies and its impact on our students and community members are profound and far-reaching,” said Hill College President Dr. Thomas Mills.

Under the direction of Executive Director & Chief Curator John Versluis, who joined the museum in 2005, the museum has grown in collections, outreach, and state and national standings. In addition to his role at the THM, Versluis also served as the president and CEO of the Association of Academic Museums & Galleries (AAMG), the leading educational and professional organization for academic museums in the United States, from 2017–2020 and the immediate past president from 2020–2023. In 2023, he was awarded the 10th annual North Texas Community College Consortium Jesse Jones Leadership award, the organization’s highest honor.

In 2023, the Texas Heritage Museum received its accreditation from the American Alliance of Museum (AAM). Only 1,123 museums out of approximately 33,000 museums in the United States have AAM accreditation. Of the museums accredited, only four academic museums have received both the IMLS National Medal and AAM accreditation.

“At the Texas Heritage Museum, we believe that history becomes most powerful when it is lived, studied, and shared,” said Versluis. “Every day, our museum supports Hill College courses, partners with veterans, inspires K–12 students, advances Texas historical research, and engages communities across the state. This IMLS National Medal affirms that our community-college museum stands among the nation’s most distinguished institutions and demonstrates the vital role academic museums play in enriching education, preserving heritage, and serving the public good.”

“I am honored and deeply grateful to stand alongside our faculty, staff, and students to congratulate the Texas Heritage Museum, its supporters, and its exemplary staff for being recognized with this extremely prestigious award,” said Dr. Mills. “Winning the National Medal for Museum and Library Service speaks not just to the magnificent quality of our museum, but to the collective dedication of our people, preserving and sharing our rich wartime history while also exuding excellence. Special congratulations are due to John Versluis, executive director & chief curator of the museum, who is the tireless driving force behind what we all consider to be the crown jewel of Hill College.”

The official National Medal ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C., at a date to be determined, where representatives of the Texas Heritage Museum will join other national honorees in a formal recognition event hosted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Later this year, Hill College will also host a gala in honor of the award; more details to come.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage.

About the Texas Heritage Museum

The Texas Heritage Museum serves an active role in the educational and service missions of Hill College and brings increasing national and international prestige to the college. The museum’s mission is to explore Texas and Texans during wartime and how those experiences affect us today. The museum is comprised of two divisions: the Galleries & Collection and the Historical Research Center. It is also the home of the Official Texas State Medal of Honor Memorial to Native-Born Texans, which honors Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War II, and Samuel Dealey, the most decorated sailor of World War II, as well as other native Texans who demonstrated courage and character in times of war.

Visitor information
The Texas Heritage Museum is located at 112 Lamar Drive, Hillsboro, Texas, 76645. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., during Hill College fall and spring semesters. The Historical Research Center is open by appointment only. Please call 254.659.7750 for appointments and for more information about the museum.