Stories from Texas
W.F. Strong
May 28, 2026
Rebroadcast: The craziest race you’ve never heard of happened on Padre Island
Texas Standard commentator WF Strong says that, starting in the 1950s, participants in the Padre Island Walkathon covered 110 miles – all walking, no running – over three days.
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April 29, 2026
How a man named Connie forged a global chain that started in Texas
Texas has been the starting point for a lot of iconic brands. Whataburger, H-E-B and Buc-ee’s are a few modern behemoths that come to mind. But Texas as a place to start a business goes back way further than that. W.F. Strong has the story of a man named Connie who forged a global chain […]
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April 15, 2026
Collective historical memory is not always based in fact. Take the example that Napoleon was short. You might call these historical myths.
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March 18, 2026
How the Texas Hill Country inspired NYC’s Central Park
It’s not hard to find a Texas connection to a news story. The same is true for history. One example that may surprise you is the fact that the Texas Hill Country inspired the design of New York Central Park. Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong explores. Stories from Texas is a listener-supported production of KUT […]
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March 4, 2026
Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong professes he knows a good deal about Texas literature, but has far less knowledge as to what classic and historical Texas books, in good condition, are worth.
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February 18, 2026
‘He didn’t take on an iconic role, he made the role iconic’: W.F. Strong on Robert Duvall
Texas Standard’s commentator remembers the Academy Award-winning actor who was not born a Texan, but played a heck of one on TV and film.
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February 4, 2026
Sandra Cisneros, a Texas literary rock star
Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong examines how one of the state’s most celebrated writers found a home in San Antonio.
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January 22, 2026
LBJ’s presidency was marked by turbulent change. And while the longtime Texas-born politician is often remembered for his role in the war and in civil rights, few remember what Commentator WF Strong calls LBJ’s ‘ secret weapon’ — his sense of humor.
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About
“Stories from Texas” are written and recorded by W.F. Strong for the Texas Standard radio program. They are edited for broadcast by Texas Standard producers.
W.F. Strong
W.F. Strong is a professor of culture and communication at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is a Fulbright scholar and author of the book “Stories From Texas: Some Of Them Are True.”
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