Speaker Sam Tanksley- Karpeles Manuscript Museum

Sam comes from an oral tradition. He also loves History, and is the Director of the “new" Karpeles Manuscript Museum in Alvin Texas. The Manuscript Museum is in the oldest brick church building in the area, and was built as a Methodist church in 1924. He previously worked for four years at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. 

 

“On the last day of June 2020 at 12:30 PM, I once again set foot on the sacred soil of Texas, and returned to the ancestral homeland of my forefathers.”   

 

He joined the work of restoration at the museum in Alvin, and when the old Church building was brought up to code, during the grand opening in November of 2020, took over as director of the Alvin branch of the Karpeles Manuscript Museum.  

 

Sam is happily married for the last 34 years to his best friend, who is stuck in California until She can retire in another 2 years. 

 

He is a member of Stephen Austin’s third company, Brazoria County Historical Malitia (“I was conscripted when I walked into the Stephen Austin Statue museum wearing a frock coat”).  A member of the Alvin Fencing Club, of the Star Wars Rebel League, Lone Star Santas, and a few other things. He swims, juggles, does magic, cooks for his wife, fences, and (happily) participates in cheap theatrics and choreographed events. 

 

“ I have worked in the Texas Oilfields and as a tour guide in Mexico and in Solvang California. Public performances with and without period clothes has always been in my life. They just got better looking when I married Sheila, a master costumer.”