The Alamo Letter Society Appoints James Oakley as Burnet County Chair: Historic Gift Coming to the County

The original Col. Travis Alamo Letter Plaque in front of the Alamo Chapel

The National Logo of the Alamo Letter Society. Dedicated to putting a plaque with the Col Travis letter in each Texas Courthouse.

Photo of the Bronze Alamo Letter Plaque

DALLAS, TX, USA, August 13, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Alamo Letter Society Appoints James Oakley as Burnet County Chair

The Alamo Letter Society is honored to announce the appointment of Judge James Oakley of Spicewood, County Judge of Burnet County, as the Burnet County Chair of the Alamo Letter Society.

Judge Oakley was born and raised in Burnet County, Texas and is a fifth-generation Burnet County citizen. Judge Oakley said, “ I am proud of where I was raised, and that motivates me to preserve history while managing new growth in our county.”

Lee William “Bill” McNutt, of University Park, Texas, Co-Founder of the Alamo Letter Society, said, “His work has been rewarded by the citizens who have elected him county commissioner and now county judge. Like Alamo defender James Bowie his loyalty to Texas is unsurpassed.”

The Alamo Letter Society originated from a 13-year-old Texas student, Sloane McNutt, while on a family trip to the Alamo in January 2023. While looking at William Barrett Travis’ historic “Victory or Death” letter on a bronze plaque in front of the Alamo chapel, Sloane asked her father, Bill McNutt, “Why do people have to go all the way to the Alamo to see the letter? This plaque with the letter should be all over Texas!” With this question in mind, the idea for the Alamo Letter Society was born.

“The raw sincerity of the letter is what called to me,” said Oakley.

McNutt recruited his fellow Vanderbilt University graduate, Rosser Newton, Sr., and US Army SGM (Ret) John Vick to aid in the creation of this organization. The Alamo Letter Society launched on Veterans Day in 2023 with the following mission statement: To educate current and future Texans about their forefathers’ armed struggle for Freedom and Liberty through the placement of a large bronze plaque containing Col. William Barrett Travis’s Alamo “Victory or Death” letter, in all 254 Texas Courthouses.

“The spirit of the Alamo Letter has been carried by the generations of Texas fighting men to every
Battlefield. The Texas soldier always finds a way forward,” said John Vick, Co-Founder & Chairman of the 501(c)(3).

The Alamo letter, written by William Barrett Travis on February 24, 1836, was only 220 words long and is regarded by history as an emblem of freedom. The Alamo Letter Society is dedicated to the two leading Tejanos of the Texas Revolution, Jose Antonio Navarro and Juan Seguín.

“Travis’ Alamo letter shows us today the essential qualities of being Texan: duty, honor, and self-sacrifice,” said Rosser Newton, Co-Founder.

Judge Oakley is a fifth-generation Burnet County citizen, where he graduated from Burnet High School. After graduating, Oakley worked in corporate communications and public relations for 10 years. In 1999, Judge Oakley began to serve as the Burnet County Commissioner, where he served for 8 years. He has continued to serve in different elected offices, serving as the Burnet County Judge since 2015. Judge Oakley and his wife, Mrs. Julie Oakley, have 5 children and live in the Spicewood area.

The date for the Burnet County Alamo Letter Plaque dedication has not yet been set. Judge Oakley looks forward “to ironing out the last few details for the dedication.”

“This letter represents the pure spirit of the times for Texas to be independent,” said Judge Oakley.

ALAMO LETTER SOCIETY
The Alamo Letter Society exists to educate school children, new Texans, and future generations of their forefathers’ fight for Liberty, and Freedom, through the placement of a large, bronze plaque containing the Alamo letter at each of the 254 courthouses in the Lone Star State. For more information, visit www.alamoletter.com

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Lee William “Bill” McNutt
Alamo Letter Society
+1 214-537-9311
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