TWU marks 125 yrs. with new State Fair exhibit celebrating women who changed history

“Blazing New Trails: 125 Years of Texas Woman’s University” opens Friday in the Hall of State at the fairgrounds

As fairgoers flock to Fair Park on opening day of the State Fair of Texas, Texas Woman’s University has unveiled a new exhibition celebrating 125 years of history, leadership and the women who helped shape Texas and the nation.

The exhibit, “Blazing New Trails: 125 Years of Texas Woman’s University,” opens Friday inside the Hall of State and features artifacts, photographs, film clips and stories spanning more than a century of women’s achievements.

Visitors will find everything from historic Texas First Ladies gowns and a World War II flight jacket worn by a Women AirforceService Pilot, to the original Fritos Chili Pie recipe tied to a distinguished TWU alumna.

For TWU Chancellor and President Carine Feyten, the exhibit is a chance to showcase not only the university’s history, but also the broader story of women who challenged expectations and opened doors for future generations.

“I think it's also important that we're celebrating these women, all kinds of women from different areas and across the ages and how they have broken barriers, opened doors and driven social change, and in some cases, even changed the course of history,” Feyten said.

The exhibition comes as the Denton-based university marks its 125th anniversary this year. The institution was established by the Texas Legislature in 1901 as the Girls Industrial College, creating educational opportunities for women nearly two decades before women gained the right to vote nationwide.

“I think people are often surprised to hear that the university was founded before women even had the right to vote,” Feyten said. “We're the nation's first and only woman-focused university system and a student population with almost 90% women. So this is really a special time.”

Today, TWU has campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston and is the nation’s first and only woman-focused public university system.

The exhibit traces both the university’s evolution and the contributions of women from different backgrounds and eras. Feyten said visitors will see how those stories connect across generations.

“The women in the exhibit come from different eras and very different walks of life,” she said. “But at the same time, there's this remarkable sense of connection and synchronicity among them.”

As guests move through the exhibit, Feyten said she hopes they experience more than just history.

“You can almost feel an energy in the room,” she said. “The accumulated energy of generations of leaders and pioneers really building on what came before them and breaking barriers, opening doors for those who follow them.”

Among the highlights is the white mohair coat worn by former Gov. Ann Richards during her 1991 inaugural parade. Feyten said many people may be surprised to learn the coat was created by TWU fashion students working under noted Texas designer Les Wilk.

The exhibition also showcases materials from TWU’s internationally known Women Airforce Service Pilots archive. The university preserves more than one million items documenting the women pilots who served during World War II, making it the largest collection of WASP materials in the world.

On display is a bomber jacket worn by WASP Elizabeth “Betty” Gardner, whose photograph sitting in the cockpit of a B-26 Marauder became one of the most recognizable images associated with the wartime program.

Visitors can also view a first edition copy of Florence Nightingale’s 1859 book Notes on Nursing, which helped establish many of the foundations of modern nursing practice.

One exhibit explores the story behind a single high-heel shoe once used by former Texas Sen. Jane Nelson during a memorable legislative moment in Austin.

Another connects TWU to one of Texas' best-known comfort foods. The original Frito pie recipe was first published by TWU Distinguished Alumna and former faculty member Nell Morris. Fairgoers can take home a copy of the recipe and try it themselves.

Visitors can also stand behind the lectern used by Eleanor Roosevelt when she dedicated TWU’s historic Little Chapel-in-the-Woods.

Other displays highlight women in aviation, art, athletics, leadership, adaptive fashion and space exploration, while exploring the university’s ties to figures including Amelia Earhart, Lady Bird Johnson and Wally Funk.

“TWU was founded to create opportunities for women at a time when those opportunities were extremely limited,” she said. “Over the history of Texas Woman's University, we have continued to focus on that same principle about really focusing on groups that have either been disenfranchised or haven't had the same opportunities.”

The exhibit runs through Oct. 18 at the Hall of State and is included with State Fair admission.