Dr. James C. Maroney, who received a PhD from UH’s Department of History in 1975, is passionate about preserving the history of East Texas, that part of the state that’s known as “behind the pine curtain” because of its early isolation and its piney woods. Dr. Maroney was named a Fellow of the East Texas Historical Association (ETHA), which maintains a maximum of only 20 fellows at a time.

Maroney also received the annual Ralph W. Steen Award at ETHA’s fall meeting in Galveston last October for his outstanding service to historical efforts in East Texas.

A specialist in labor and working-class history, Maroney, who is retired from Lee College, has published numerous articles in books and professional journals, and is co-editor and contributor to "Texas Labor History," published in 2013 by Texas A&M Press.