Robert Diaz will present a lecture on the life and impact of Richard Burges for the June History Notes lecture at 1pm on Thursday, June 7 at Branigan Cultural Center.
Diaz will discuss the life of Richard F. Burges, an El Paso attorney and civic leader who drafted the city’s first charter, partook in an expedition that led to the designation of Carlsbad Caverns as a national park, and fought as a major during World War I in France.
Robert Diaz is president of the El Paso County Historical Society and a graduate student in history at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He graduated with a B.A. in political science and a B.A. in history from UTEP in 2013. Diaz’s research focuses on the development of science in nineteenth century America and scientific exploration in the Pacific, and the history of nineteenth century El Paso, with a specific focus on the formation of the border between 1848 and 1860.
History Notes, monthly lectures on historical topics, takes place on the second Thursday of each month at 1 pm. Lectures are free and open to the public. Please check our webpage or Facebook.com/LCMuseums, for a full listing of these and other public programs hosted by the Branigan Cultural Center and the City of Las Cruces Museums.
The museum is located at 501 North Main Street and is open Tuesday – Friday from 10am to 4:30pm and Saturday, 9am to 4:30pm. Throughout the summer, the museum will be open until 8pm every Wednesday.