Texas Institute of Letters, 1957 - 1987

The Texas Institute of Letters was organized in 1936 during the year of the Texas Centennial for the purpose of the "promotion and recognition of literature in Texas." It evolved into an organization which met annually and awarded literary prizes to works by Texas authors. Bill Wittliff joined the TIL in 1969 and was president from 1974 to 1978. He wrote and published a history of the Institute, The Texas Institute of Letters, 1936 - 1966. He and Encino Press had received awards from TIL beginning with his book design for an SMU Press printing of a lecture by Harry S. Truman. Wittliff designed and printed many TIL programs. Clippings about TIL are also found here along with the first copy of Texas Monthly signed by authors who were at the 1973 TIL meeting, and a cassette of the 1977 TIL meeting.