The Smithsonian Institution, or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge." Founded on August 10, 1846, it operates as a trust instrumentality and is not formally a part of any of the three branches of the federal government. The institution is named after its founding donor, British scientist James Smithson. It was originally organized as the United States National Museum, but that name ceased to exist administratively in 1967.
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a public research university in San Antonio, Texas. Established in 1969, UTSA is the largest university in San Antonio and the eighth-largest by enrollment in the state of Texas enrolling over 34,000 students across its five campuses spanning more than 758 acres. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity". The UTSA Institute for Economic Development generates $2.6 billion in direct economic impact.
HemisFair '68 was the official 1968 World's Fair held in San Antonio, Texas, from April 6 through October 6, 1968. Local businessman and civic leader, Jerome K. Harris Sr., coined the name HemisFair and conceived the idea for the fair, hoping it would unite all the cultures that comprise San Antonio and solidify the city's reputation as a cultural and historic destination. With help from commissioner Henry B. Gonzales and other San Antonio leaders, the fair materialized and helped transform the city from a cowtown to one of the largest cities in the country. The theme of the fair was "The Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas", celebrating the many nations which settled the region. The fair was held in 1968 to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the founding of San Antonio in 1718. More than thirty nations and fifteen corporations hosted pavilions at the fair.
TheUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, doing business as UT Health San Antonio, is a public academic health science center in San Antonio, Texas. It is part of the University of Texas System.
The Texas Folklife Festival is an annual event sponsored by the University of Texas at San Antonio's Institute of Texan Cultures celebrating the many ethnicities represented in the population of the state of Texas. The first Texas Folklife Festival was held from September 7–10, 1972. The event moved to August a few years after it began and then to June a few years later to avoid the hottest part of summer in Texas. The Festival is held in Downtown San Antonio at the Institute of Texan Cultures on UTSA's HemisFair Park Campus, located at the corner of Bowie Street and Cesar Chavez Boulevard, just off Interstate 37 South.
The San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) is the public library system serving the city of San Antonio, Texas. It consists of a central library, 29 branch libraries, and a library portal. SAPL was awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2006.
The culture of San Antonio reflects the history and culture of one of the state's oldest and largest cities straddling the regional and cultural divide between South and Central Texas. Historically, San Antonio culture comes from a blend of Central Texas and South Texas (Southwestern) culture. Founded as a Spanish outpost and the first civil settlement in Texas, San Antonio is heavily influenced by Mexican American culture due to Texas formerly being part of Mexico and, previously, the Spanish Empire. The city also has significant German, Anglo, and African American cultural influences. San Antonio offers a host of cultural institutions, events, restaurants and nightlife in South Texas for both residents and visitors alike.
Ricardo Romo is an American urban historian who served as the fifth President of the University of Texas at San Antonio from May 1999 to March 2017.
Downtown San Antonio is the central business district of San Antonio, Texas and the urban core of Greater San Antonio, a metropolitan area with nearly 2.5 million people.
William Rashall Sinkin was an American community activist for equality, international cooperation and alternative energy in San Antonio.
Helen Cloud Austin is a social worker and advocate for mental health patients and their families. A resident of San Antonio, Texas since the early 1960s, Austin began her career in social work after earning both Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from the Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. She was only the second black student to attend the Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work. While there, she was mentored by Martin Luther King Jr.
Rosita Fernández was a Mexican American Tejano music singer, humanitarian, and actress. She became a symbol of "Old Mexico" among European Americans in San Antonio, and was called the city's First Lady of Song by Lady Bird Johnson.
Smithsonian Affiliations is a division of the Smithsonian Institution that establishes long-term partnerships with non-Smithsonian museums and educational and cultural organizations in order to share collections, exhibitions and educational strategies and conduct joint research. Partner organizations are known as "Smithsonian Affiliates".
Jacinto Quirarte was an art historian, professor, scholar and writer who was instrumental in documenting and promoting Latino and Chicano art in the United States. Quirarte was an "expert in pre-Columbian and Latin American art history." He was one of the first to insist that pre-Columbian art and Latino art become part of the mainstream American art history narrative. He wrote many papers, monographs and several books on the subject of both ancient and modern art in the United States, Mexico, Central and South America. He is one of the founding deans of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Quirarte was also one of the first Mexican-American scholars to work at the university level.
The University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries (UTSA Libraries) is the academic library of The University of Texas at San Antonio, a state research university in San Antonio, Texas, United States. UTSA Libraries consists of the John Peace Library (JPL) on the Main Campus, the Downtown Library, and the Applied Engineering and Technology (AET) Library. The libraries provide students and faculty with a comprehensive access to information as well as spaces for active learning, teaching, and interdisciplinary scholarship.
Carmen Tafolla is an internationally acclaimed Chicana writer from San Antonio, Texas, and a professor emerita of bicultural bilingual studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Tafolla served as the poet laureate of San Antonio from 2012 to 2014, and was named the Poet Laureate of Texas for 2015–16. Tafolla has written more than thirty books, and won multiple literary awards. She is one of the most highly anthologized Chicana authors in the United States, with her work appearing in more than 300 anthologies.
Anita Valencia is a visual and mixed media artist known for her work with recycled materials.
Jerome K. Harris Sr. was an American businessman and civic leader, celebrated for his key role in the creation and development of HemisFair '68, the 1968 World's Fair held in San Antonio, Texas. Harris notably coined the name 'Hemisfair' and was the originator of the idea, formally given the honorary title 'Father of Hemisfair' in 1993 by the San Antonio City Council.
Clifton "Clif" Tinker is a San Antonio, Texas-based commercial artist. He has done commissions for the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team, the San Antonio Public Library, the Texas State Teachers' Association (TSTA), Dillard's Department Store, and the HEB Grocery Company. He has also worked as a cartoonist and an illustrator. As a painter, collagist, and printmaker, he is represented by Artistic Endeavors Gallery. His art studio practice focuses on expressionistic scenic paintings, and cartoon-style imagery. Since 1986, he has been an art instructor, first at the San Antonio Art Institute at the McNay Art Museum, and then in San Antonio public schools.
United States 
