Biography

Headshot of Nathan Jones wearing a red shirt in front of Alamo Church

Nathan Jones is the Director of Curation at the Alamo. A Houston area native, he is returning to the Lone Star State after time abroad in Oklahoma where he was curator of History at The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Nathan’s passion is in helping people and communities connect their past and present through history. He’s written and curated award-winning exhibitions on topics including Western design, the roots of the American cowboy, gamifying history, Western art, and Star Trek.

As part of the collections team, he helps develop the collections and create the exhibitions and experiences that help to immerse people in the Alamo story. Nathan holds a master’s degree in public history from Texas State University.

Selected Experience

Curator of History, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (2018-2023)

Director of Collections & Education, The Bryan Museum (2016-2018)

Americana Foundation Fellow in Curation & Conservation, Bayou Bend Collection & Gardens (2015-2016)

Selected Exhibitions, Publications, and Presentations

Traditional Cowboy Arts Exhibition & Sale, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 2018-2023.

“Museums, Values and Firearms.” Center for the Study of Guns and Society at Wesleyan University annual conference, 2023.

Western Wares, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 2022.

“Star Trek Into Darkness,” The Routledge Companion to Star Trek, Routledge, 2022.

“Reframing Narratives of the West: Changemaking as Public History,” Western History Association Annual Conference, 2021.

Caballeros y Vaqueros: Origins of Western Horse Cultures, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 2019.

Professional Qualifications

M.A. History with specialization in Public History, Texas State University

B.A. History, Philosophy Minor, Texas State University

Professional Memberships

American Association for State and Local History

Western Historical Association

Museums as Progress Community

Texas State Historical Association

Texas Association of Museums