Alamo Trust president resigns after Lt. Gov. Patrick calls for removal, new president named

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Kate Rogers (The Alamo Trust)

SAN ANTONIO - Alamo Trust named a new president and CEO Friday after former president Kate Rogers resigned following a call from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for her to step down after views expressed in her 2023 dissertation that seemingly disagreed with Republican leadership.

In a release, the Alamo Trust Board of Directors said former Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade would lead the organization. Andrade served as Secretary of State under Gov. Rick Perry. 

Rogers, who had led the organization since 2021, resigned Thursday after Patrick called her writings "incompatible with the telling of the history of the battle of the Alamo."

What they're saying:

"The ATI Board would like to thank Kate for her leadership and service to both Alamo Trust, Inc. and Remember the Alamo Foundation. We wish Kate success in her future endeavors," ATI Board Chair Welcome Wilson, Jr. said.

Texas Land Commissioner Dr. Dawn Buckingham released a statement praising Patrick's successful removal of Rogers.

"I commend Lt. Governor Dan Patrick for his swift action at The Alamo. I appreciate The Alamo Trust Board and our continued work together bettering The Alamo," Buckingham said.

Hope Andrade

Andrade to lead the Alamo

Andrade served as Secretary of State under Gov. Rick Perry. She also served as Texas Workforce Commissioner and Department of Transportation commissioner. As a condition of the role, Andrade will step down from her volunteer positions on the Alamo Trust and Remember the Alamo Foundation boards.

What they're saying:

"The Board's unanimous vote in naming Hope as our next leader is no surprise," Wilson said. "She is a steady hand, knows what needs to be done, and has the confidence of our benefactors, donors, and local and state leadership involved in the project. As someone who has served with her during her entire tenure on these Boards, I have always known of her strong leadership, her ability to bring people together to get a job done, and I couldn’t be more proud that she accepted this role."

‘Incompatible with the telling of the history of the battle of the Alamo’

On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick  said Rogers' writings were "incompatible with the telling of the history of the battle of the Alamo."

In the portion of Rogers' 2023 dissertation posted on X by Patrick, Rogers seemingly disagreed with Republican leadership and legislation passed during that legislative session. Rogers also highlighted the differing viewpoints between state leaders who want the Alamo's focus to be on the siege and battle instead of the entire history of the site, which city leaders prefer.

What they're saying:

"I do not believe you were aware of her writings or her views towards state oversight when you hired her, but I do believe these newly discovered writings undermine the credibility of the Alamo Trust," Patrick wrote to the trust's board of directors.

The other side:

"The Alamo Citizens Advisory Council organized by the city…wants to tell the full story of the site, including its beginning as a home to indigenous people, the Mission Era, the Revolution and up through the modern-day Civil Rights movement," Rogers wrote.

Patrick said he wants the history of the Alamo to focus on the 13-day siege and 1836 Battle of the Alamo, which Rogers claims in her research, is at odds with local officials who want to tell the full story of the Alamo and not just focus on the battle.

Rogers said in her dissertation that she would "love to see the Alamo become a beacon for historical reconciliation and a place that brings people together versus tearing them apart, but politically that may not be possible at this time."

A $550 million restoration and expansion of the Alamo includes a new museum and visitor center with galleries that cover the history of the Alamo from its beginning indigenous inhabitants to the Battle of the Alamo through modern day.

In her dissertation, Rogers said she had to be careful with her dissertation because "it could have negative consequences" on the Alamo Plan funding and possibly her job.

In his letter, Patrick said "the entire story of the Alamo will be told" and that he will "continue to defend the Alamo today against a rewrite of history."