WT asks Panhandle-Plains Historical Society to plan relocation of museum collection

West Texas A&M University has formally asked the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society to develop a plan to relocate its museum collection from the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, citing long-standing safety issues, declining state support and financial pressures the university says it can no longer sustain.

University President Walter V. Wendler announced the request during a news conference Tuesday afternoon in the Williams Reading Room of Old Main, where he read from a prepared statement and answered questions. The request follows the museum’s closure earlier this year after an inspection by the Texas State Fire Marshal identified nearly 150 fire code violations in the aging facility.

According to university officials, the inspection intensified discussions that had already been underway between the university and the historical society about the future of the museum. While administrators said they explored multiple options to rehabilitate or rebuild the facility, they ultimately concluded that maintaining the museum in its current form is not feasible.

“We’ve been at this for a long time and we need to find a way to move forward,” Wendler said. “I’ve exhausted every possibility known to me as an experienced university administrator with some 17 years of experience in the lead seat, and it’s just very challenging.”

The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, long billed as the largest history museum in Texas, is operated by the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society and located on the WT campus in Canyon. The arrangement between the university and the society dates back decades, with WT providing facilities and substantial operational support while the society manages the collection and programming.

Fire marshal inspection and closure

The museum closed earlier this year after the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office identified extensive fire code violations, including issues related to life safety systems, alarms and building infrastructure. University officials said the findings confirmed concerns that had been building for years about the safety and viability of the complex.

Wendler described the museum building as being beyond its useful life and said it no longer meets modern health and safety standards.

“As an architect, the museum is not safe,” he said. “It doesn’t protect the health, safety and welfare of the general public.”

Since the closure, the building has effectively functioned as a storage facility for the museum’s artifacts, requiring ongoing climate control and maintenance to preserve the collection.

Decades of funding challenges

At the news conference and in a prepared statement, Wendler emphasized that funding difficulties for the museum are not new. He said the university has sought additional state and external funding for more than five decades without success.

“For five decades, West Texas A&M University has unsuccessfully sought to secure additional funding for the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum,” Wendler said. “As hard as we have tried, West Texas A&M University has not been successful in securing funds for modifications to the museum to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all those who visit and work in the building.”

According to the university, state funding for the museum has declined by roughly 65% since 1984, following legislative changes. Wendler said the state currently provides about $260,000 annually toward museum operations, covering only a fraction of total costs.

WTAMU now spends approximately $99,347.87 per month—about $1.2 million annually—from its general operating budget to support the museum. Wendler said that amount translates to $128.79 per student each year.

“Last year that translated into about $128.79 for every student to operate the museum,” he said. “That burden that our students bear is not fair.”

Unlike cities, counties or community colleges, the university has no taxing authority to raise dedicated revenue for the museum. Wendler said that has left WT absorbing rising maintenance and utility costs without a sustainable funding stream.

Student priorities emphasized

Wendler framed the decision as part of the university’s responsibility to prioritize students and academic programs. He noted that WT has reduced undergraduate student indebtedness by more than 25% over the past decade and said maintaining that trajectory requires difficult financial choices.

Wendler said the museum does not qualify as an educational and general facility under state funding formulas, limiting the university’s ability to offset costs through normal higher education appropriations.

“The museum has never existed as an auxiliary function of the university,” he said. “Nor does it qualify for the same state funding streams that support academic buildings.”

In response to questions about why other areas, such as athletics, receive funding, Wendler said those programs operate under different financial models. Intercollegiate athletics, he said, are supported by student-approved fees and function as auxiliary enterprises rather than drawing from the same general operating funds.

“Our student-athletes are about 500 students on our campus,” Wendler said. “Students voted and self-imposed athletics fees to support intercollegiate athletics.”

Request for a relocation plan

Earlier Tuesday, Wendler met with leaders of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society and delivered a formal letter requesting that the organization develop a written plan to relocate its collection to another location. He asked that the plan be submitted by Feb. 1, 2026.

In the letter, Wendler also requested that the society split monthly maintenance and utility costs for the museum beginning in February and continuing until the building is fully vacated.

“Since the museum is functioning as a storage facility for the society’s artifacts, I have also requested that the society split the monthly costs of maintenance and utilities until such time as the building is completely vacated,” Wendler said.

He stressed that environmental controls such as temperature and humidity remain essential to protecting the artifacts during any transition period.

“Those things have to be cared for properly,” he said. “But it’s expensive.”

Possible future locations and confidence in society leadership

While the university is not proposing a specific new site, Wendler said a new or renovated facility located on or near Interstate 40 in Amarillo could make sense and has been discussed in the past. He expressed confidence in the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society’s leadership and its ability to navigate the transition.

Wendler said the decision to move toward relocation followed months and, in some cases, years of exploration, including planning funds provided by the Texas A&M University System. He said the conclusion was reached in consultation with system leadership, including former Chancellor John Sharp and current Chancellor Glenn Hegar.

“I was very hopeful until probably about a month ago,” Wendler said. “But we tried so many things.”

Future of Pioneer Hall

The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum complex includes Pioneer Hall, the original historic structure on the site that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with later additions built over several decades.

Wendler said the university’s long-term plan is to restore Pioneer Hall while demolishing later additions that no longer meet safety standards.

“The chancellor has committed to helping me develop a funding stream so that we can restore Pioneer Hall and return that building to its original significance,” Wendler said.

Once restored, Pioneer Hall could qualify as an educational and general facility, potentially making it eligible for state funding. Wendler said possible future uses include academic space, special events or a welcome center, though no decisions have been finalized.

Society acknowledges request

Following the news conference, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society Board of Trustees released a written statement acknowledging Wendler’s request and confirming that work on a timeline has begun.

“President Wendler has asked Panhandle-Plains Historical Society to develop a plan to vacate the museum building on the WT campus and relocate our collection to another location,” the statement said. “He has asked for a written plan by February 1. We are working on a timeline. Our focus right now is on the future and we are moving forward.”

The statement was issued on behalf of the board by Jason Boyett. No representatives of the society spoke at the university’s press conference, and the organization declined interviews at this time.

Framing the moment as a transition

University officials characterized the move as a reassessment of a long-standing arrangement rather than a dispute. Wendler repeatedly emphasized his respect for the historical society and the importance of the collection to the region.

“The history of this region is embedded in the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum,” he said. “It’s absolutely critical to the Panhandle, but also critical to WT and its distinctiveness as an excellent state university.”

Wendler said he regrets the circumstances that led to the museum’s closure and expressed hope that the society will find a sustainable path forward that allows the collection to continue serving the Texas Panhandle and the state.

Addressing questions about earlier statements expressing optimism about the museum’s future on campus, Wendler said he remains hopeful, even if the outcome differs from past expectations.

“I’m still optimistic that we’re going to find a good solution,” he said. “When people of good mind with clear purpose put their hands to a task, it’s going to get done.”

For now, the next steps rest with the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society as it works to develop a relocation plan while discussions continue about the long-term future of the collection and the historic site it has occupied for generations.