Tyler, Texas

Tyler
City
Tyler, Texas
Clockwise: Tyler skyline with Plaza Tower at right and People's National Bank office building in center, Cotton Belt Depot, Caldwell Zoo, Chamblee Rose Garden, Smith County Courthouse, Goodman Home.
Seal
Nickname(s): Rose Capital, Rose Capital of America
Motto: A Natural Beauty
Location in Smith County and the state of Texas
Coordinates: 32°21′N 95°18′W / 32.350°N 95.300°W / 32.350; -95.300Coordinates: 32°21′N 95°18′W / 32.350°N 95.300°W / 32.350; -95.300
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Smith
Founded	1846
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• City Council	Mayor Martin Heines Darryl Bowdre Don Warren Same Mezayek Ed Moore John Nix Mark Whatley
• City Manager	Edward Broussard
Area
• City	54.376 sq mi (140.833 km2)
• Land	54.2 sq mi (140.5 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	544 ft (165 m)
Population (2010)[1]
• City	96,900
• Estimate (2015)[2]	103,700
• Rank	US: 292nd
• Density	1,800/sq mi (690/km2)
• Urban	130,247 (US: 247th)
• Metro	216,080 (US: 200th)
• Demonym	Tylerite
Time zone	Central (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	Central (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	757XX
Area code(s)	430/903
FIPS code	48-74144[3]
GNIS feature ID	1348998[4]
Website	www.cityoftyler.org

Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, United States.^[5] The city is named for Tyler Ross. Tyler has a population of 96,900 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau. Tyler's 2014 estimated population is 107,405.^[6] It is 100 miles (160 km) east-southeast of Dallas. Tyler is the principal city of the Tyler Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a population of 209,714 in 2010, and the regional center of the Tyler-Jacksonville combined statistical area, with a population of 260,559 in 2010.

Tyler has the nickname "Rose Capital of America".^[7] It gained this name due to the large quantity of roses processed through the area, along with hosting America's largest rose garden.^[8]

In 1985, the international Adopt-a-Highway movement originated in Tyler when, after appeals by local Texas Department of Transportation officials, the local Civitan chapter adopted a two-mile (3-km) stretch of U.S. Highway 69. Tyler is also home to the Caldwell Zoo and Broadway Square Mall.

As a regional educational and technology center, Tyler is the host for more than 20,000 higher education students, a College of Engineering, and a University Health Science Center, two regional, billion-dollar hospital systems, and a variety of technology startups.

Geography

Tyler is located at 32°20′03″N 95°18′00″W / 32.334249°N 95.299927°W / 32.334249; -95.299927^[9] at 544 feet (166 m) above sea level. Tyler is surrounded by many smaller cities, including Whitehouse, Lindale, New Chapel Hill, Bullard, Edom, Brownsboro, and Chandler.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.4 square miles (140.8 km²), of which 54.2 mi² (140.5 km²) is land and 0.1 mi²(0.3 km²²) is water.

Climate

Tyler
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.3     57 38     3.7     64 41     4     72 49     3.7     78 55     4.5     84 63     3.7     90 70     2.2     93 73     2.6     94 72     3.3     88 67     5.1     78 56     4.5     67 48     4.8     58 40 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches Source: Weather.com / NWS
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     85     14 3     95     18 5     101     22 9     94     26 13     113     29 17     93     32 21     55     34 23     66     34 22     83     31 19     131     26 13     113     19 9     121     14 4 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm

Tyler experiences weather typical of East Texas, which is unpredictable, especially in the spring. All of East Texas has the humid subtropical climate typical of the American South.

The record high for Tyler is 115 °F (46 °C), which occurred in 2011. The record low for Tyler is −3 °F (−19 °C), which occurred on January 18, 1930.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	2,423		—
1890	6,908		185.1%
1900	8,069		16.8%
1910	10,400		28.9%
1920	12,085		16.2%
1930	17,113		41.6%
1940	28,279		65.2%
1950	38,968		37.8%
1960	51,230		31.5%
1970	57,770		12.8%
1980	70,508		22.0%
1990	75,450		7.0%
2000	83,650		10.9%
2010	96,900		15.8%
Est. 2016	104,798	[10]	8.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 2015 Estimate[2]

As of the 2010 census,^[3] 96,900 people resided in the city of Tyler, Texas. The population density was 1,782.0 people per square mile (688.0/km²). The 41,742 housing units averaged a density of 716.7 per mi²(276.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was: 60.5% White, 24.8% Black, 0.5% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 10.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. About 21.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The median income for the city was $42,752 and the poverty rate was 19.5%.

History

Government

Local government

According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $87.7 million in revenues, $101.7 million in expenditures, $49.2 million in total assets, $12.3 million in total liabilities, and $17.6 million in cash in investments.^[12]

The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:^[13]

City Manager	Edward Broussard
Managing Director of Development and Social Services	Heather Nick
Managing Director of Culture, Recreation and Tourism Services	Stephanie Franklin
Managing Director for Administration (& HR Director)	ReNissa Wade
Managing Director of Public Works	Vacant
CFO/Finance Director	Keidric Trimble
City Engineer	Carter Delleney, P.E.
Chief of Police	Jimmy Toler
Fire Chief	David Coble
Director of Solid Waste	Russ Jackson
Chief Information Officer	Benny Yazdanpanahi
City Attorney	Deborah Pullum
Communications Manager	Julie Goodgame
Vehicle Services Manager	Leroy Sparrow
City Librarian	Mary Vernau
Internal Auditor	Vacant
Neighborhood Services Manager	Vacant
Housing Manager	Candace Porter
Airport Manager	Davis Dickson
Human Resources Manager	Rose Ray
Water Utilities Financial Manager	James Yanker
Water Utilities Manager	Joan Roberson
Development Services Engineer	Michael Wilson, P.E.
Traffic Engineer	Peter Eng, P.E.

The Northeast Texas Public Health District^[14] is a political subdivision under the State of Texas established by the City of Tyler and Smith County. In place for nearly 70 years, the Health District became a separate entity in 1994, with an administrative Public Health Board. With a stated vision "To be the Healthiest Community in Texas", the district has a full-time staff of over 130 employees. The Health District has a broad range of services and responsibilities dedicated to their mission: "To Protect, Promote, and Provide for the Health of Our Community."

State government

Tyler is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Bryan Hughes, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Matt Schaefer, District 6.

The Texas Twelfth Court of Appeals is located in Tyler.^[15]

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Region I Parole Division Office and the Tyler District Parole Office in Tyler.^[16]

Federal government

The two U.S. Senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz; Tyler is part of Texas' US Congressional 1st District, which is currently represented by Republican Louie Gohmert.

The United States Postal Service operates several post offices in Tyler, including Tyler,^[17] Azalea,^[18] Southeast Crossing,^[19] and the South Tyler Annex.^[20]

Education

Colleges and universities

Tyler's higher education institutions include the University of Texas at Tyler and the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler, both part of the University of Texas System, as well as Tyler Junior College and Texas College.

Primary and secondary schools

Public primary and secondary education for much of the city is provided by the Tyler Independent School District, which includes two high schools, John Tyler and Robert E. Lee; Premier High School of Tyler, a public charter school (Cumberland Academy). Several Tyler schools offer international baccalaureate and advanced placement programs.

Portions of incorporated Tyler are served by surrounding school districts. These include sections of southeast Tyler by the Whitehouse Independent School District, and some sections in the east which are served by the Chapel Hill Independent School District.

Private schools

• There are a few private schools in Tyler, including Grace Community School (Texas), All Saints Episcopal School, Seventh-day Adventist Church School, King's Academy Christian School, Kingdom Life Academy (Located in the same building but, not affiliated with King's Academy) Christian Heritage School, East Texas Christian Academy, and Good Shepherd Reformed Episcopal School, and the Brook Hill School in nearby Bullard, TX. The Tyler Catholic School System of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler consists of St. Gregory Cathedral School and Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Regional Catholic Middle and High School.

Economy

In addition to its role in the rose-growing industry, Tyler is the headquarters for Brookshire Grocery Company, which operates Brookshire's, Fresh, Super 1 Foods, and Spring Market supermarkets in three states (Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas). The company's main distribution center is located in south Tyler, while SouthWest Foods, a subsidiary that processes dairy products, is located just northeast of the city. Adams Engineering has also made its headquarters in Tyler.

The manufacturing sector includes:

• Tyler Pipe, a subsidiary of McWane Inc. that produces soil and utility pipe products
• Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand, formerly a unit of American Standard Companies, which manufactures air conditioners and heat pumps (this plant was originally built in 1955 by General Electric)
• Delek Refining, an Israeli-owned oil refinery formerly La Gloria Oil and Gas Co (a Crown Central Petroleum subsidiary)
• PCSFerguson, an operating company of Dover Corporation that specializes in equipment for the measurement and production of natural gas using the plunger lift method
• DYNAenergetics Tyler Distribution Center, part of DYNAenergetics USA, which manufactures perforating equipment and explosives for the oil and gas industry
• Vesuvius USA, manufacturer of refractory ceramics used in the steel industry
• Cavender's, a large regional western wear retailer and manufacturer

According to the City's 2012-2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[21] the top ten employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Trinity Mother Frances Health System	3,775
2	East Texas Medical Center	3,153
3	Brookshire Grocery Company	2,599
4	Tyler Independent School District	2,468
5	Trane	1,500
6	SuddenLink	1,500
7	Walmart	1,311
8	The University of Texas at Tyler	1,121
9	University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler	925
10	Tyler Junior College	862

Recreation and tourism

Annually, the Texas Rose Festival draws thousands of tourists to Tyler.^[22] The festival, which celebrates the role of the rose-growing industry in the local economy, is held in October and features a parade, the coronation of the Rose Queen, and other civic events. The Rose Museum features the history of the Festival. Tyler is home to Caldwell Zoo, several local museums, Lake Palestine, Lake Tyler, and numerous golf courses and country clubs.^[23] A few miles away in Flint, TX is The WaterPark @ The Villages, a year-round, indoor water park. There is also an "Azalea Trail" in Tyler, which are two officially designated routes within the city that showcase homes or other landscaped venues adorned with azalea shrubs.^[24] The Azalea Trail also is home to the long-standing tradition of the Azalea Belles. The official greeters of the Azalea Trail are known as the Azalea Belles, young women from the Tyler area who dress in antebellum gowns. The belles are chosen each year from area high schools or home school families, and it is an honor to be chosen. Tyler State Park, a few miles North of Town is where visitors can camp, canoe, and paddle boat on the lake. Other activities include picnicking, camping, boating (motors allowed – 5 mph speed limit), boat rentals, fishing, birding, hiking, mountain biking, hiking trails, lake swimming (in unsupervised swimming area), and nature study. The Smith County Historical Society operates a museum and archives in the old Carnegie Library.^[25] The East Texas State Fair is held annually in Tyler.^[26] Lake Tyler was the location of the HGTV Dream Home contest in 2005. The 6,500 square feet (600 m²) house briefly boosted tourism and interest in the community. It subsequently was sold at public auction in January, 2008, for 1.325 million dollars.^[27]

Historical

Tyler has a Cotton Belt Railroad Depot Museum located near the Chamber of Commerce office.

The Smith County Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 1959 by individuals and business firms dedicated to discovering, collecting, and preserving data, records, and other items relating to the history of Smith County, Texas. The Society operates a museum and archives, which is located in the former Carnegie Public Library building in downtown Tyler. Permanent museum exhibits include life-size dioramas with Smith County history topics ranging from Caddo Indians to the 20th century. Other items from the society's collections are showcased in revolving, temporary exhibits. The society's archival library contains historical artifacts of Smith County, including newspapers, city directories, school records, photographs, maps, historical papers, rare books, and much more. The archives are open to the public for research on a limited schedule with volunteer staff on duty. The society is also the official caretaker of Camp Ford Historic Park.

Camp Ford was the largest Confederate Prisoner of War camp west of the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. The original site of the camp stockade is a public historic park managed by the Smith County Historical Society. The park contains a kiosk, paved trail, interpretive signage, a cabin reconstruction, and a picnic area. It is located on Highway 271, 0.8 miles (1.3 km) north of Loop 323.

Transportation

The most common form of transportation is the motor vehicle. Tyler is a nexus of several major highways. Interstate 20 runs along the north edge of the city going east and west, U.S. Highway 69 runs north–south through the center of town and State Highway 64 runs east–west through the city. Tyler also has access to U.S. Highway 271, State Highway 31, State Highway 155, and State Highway 110. Loop 323 was established in 1957 and encircles the city, which has continued to grow outside of this loop. Loop 49 is a limited access "outer loop" around the city and currently runs from State Highway 110 south of Tyler to Interstate 20 northwest of Tyler. Future segments of this tollway will extend Loop 49 out to Interstate 20 on the eastern side of the city and to other East Texas destinations.

Public transportation

Tyler Transit provides customers with public transportation service within the City of Tyler. The buses run daily, excluding Sundays and holidays. Tyler Transit offers customers the option to purchase tickets, tokens, or passes at the Tyler Transit office, located at 210 E. Oakwood Street inside the Cotton Belt Railroad Depot at the main transfer point. The City of Tyler paratransit service is a shared-ride, public transportation service. Requests for service must be made the day before the service is needed. Trips can be scheduled up to 14 days in advance. ADA complimentary paratransit service is provided to all origins and destinations within the service area defined as the city limits of Tyler.^[28] Greyhound Lines bus service is available through a downtown terminal.

Via air

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport offers service to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport via American Eagle. General Aviation services are provided by two fixed-base operators, Johnson Aviation and the Jet Center of Tyler.

Via train

Tyler was the hub for a series of short-line railroads which later evolved into the St. Louis Southwestern Railway, better known as "The Cotton Belt Route". This line later became part of the Southern Pacific Railroad, which itself merged with the Union Pacific Railroad, which continues to serve the city today. No passenger train service to Tyler has occurred since April 1956, but Amtrak runs through the city of Mineola, a short distance north of Tyler.

Walkability

A 2014 study by Walk Score ranked Tyler with a walkability score of 32 (out of 100) with some amenities within walking distance.^[29]

Healthcare

Hospitals located in Tyler include East Texas Medical Center, Trinity Mother Frances Health System, University of Texas Health Center at Tyler, and Texas Spine & Joint Hospital. There are also many clinics including the Direct Care Clinic.

Places of worship

Tyler is the home of many churches, including five large congregations in downtown, the Marvin United Methodist Church, Dayspring United Methodist Church, West Erwin Church of Christ, First Baptist Church, and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Tyler is also the seat of Catholic Diocese of Tyler, which is particularly noteworthy for its St. Joseph the Worker Parish, one of the few churches in America dedicated to the exclusive use of the Traditional Latin Mass. The parish is staffed by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. The city also is the home of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a 100 plus year sanctuary recently renovated and declared a historic and heritage site by the Catholic Diocese of Tyler. The Saint Peter Claver Parish located in central Tyler, is the second largest Catholic Church in Tyler and was dedicated to St. Peter Claver, a Franciscan Priest that assisted the black slaves in Brasil during the slave trade to South America. There is also a Nazarene church on Old Bullard Rd called Tyler First Church Of The Nazarene.

Tyler has three United Pentecostal Churches the largest of them is Tyler Tabernacle located just outside of Loop 323. The Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic church in East Tyler is also a major center of gathering. The St Peter and Paul Chapel, a Catholic church, is located next to the Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Regional Catholic School was constructed and dedicated in 2011 and holds masses in English and Spanish with a significant number of other services offered to all Tyler and neighboring residents. The city's largest church, Green Acres Baptist Church, is located on Troup Highway in southeast Tyler. Tyler is also home to two reformed Baptist churches, Sylvania Church and Living Acts Church, both of which are located in the south Tyler area. Additionally, Tyler has two Jewish houses of prayer, Ahavath Achim, which associates itself with Conservative Judaism and Beth El which adheres to Reform Judaism.^[30] Tyler is also home to East Texas Islamic Society, established in 1988, which includes an Islamic house of worship and an Islamic school for children.^[31] There is also a Unitarian, Universalist Fellowship on Old Omen Road and Cross Brand Cowboy Church at 11915 FM-2015 Tyler, Texas.

Two Tyler churches were destroyed during the 2010 East Texas church burnings.

Media

Currently, 18 media outlets and one newspaper are located in Tyler, as well as many more in the surrounding areas.

Newspaper

• Tyler Morning Telegraph

Television

VHF/UHF Channel	Call Letters	Network
7	KLTV	ABC
19	KYTX	CBS
51	KFXK-TV	FOX
56	KETK	NBC

Radio

AM stations

Frequency	Call Letters	Format	Name
600	KTBB	News/Talk
1330	KGLD	Gospel	The Light
1490	KYZS	Sports	ESPN Deportes

FM stations

Frequency	Call Letters	Format	Name
88.7	KLOVE	Christian Contemporary	KLOVE
89.5	KVNE	Christian Contemporary	Encouragement FM
91.3	KGLY	Religious
92.1	KRWR	Sports	Fox Sports East Texas
93.1	KTYL	Hot Adult Contemporary	Mix 93.1
96.1	KKTX	Classic Rock	Classic Rock 96.1
96.7	KOYE	Spanish	La Invasora
97.5	KTBB-FM	News/Talk	KTBB
99.3	KAPW	Spanish Pop	Mega 99.3
101.5	KNUE	Country
102.3	KLJT	Top 40	The Breeze
102.7	KBLZ	Urban Contemporary	The Blaze
104.1	KKUS	Classic Country	The Ranch
106.5	KOOI	Varitey Hits	Jack 106.5
107.3	KISX	Urban Adult Contemporary	Hot1073Jamz

Sports

College and university teams

• University of Texas at Tyler Patriots (NCAA Division III)
• Tyler Junior College Apaches (NJCAA)
• Texas College Steers

Baseball teams

• Tyler Elbertas (1912)
• Tyler Trojans (1924–1929, 1931, 1935–1940, 1946–1950)
• Tyler Sports (1932)
• Tyler Governors (1933–1934)
• Tyler East Texans (1950–1953)
• Tyler Tigers (1954–1955)
• Tyler Wildcatters (1994–1997)
• Tyler Roughnecks (2001)

Football

• East Texas Twisters (2004)

Road races

• Fresh 15 Road Race (Annual)

High school sports teams

• All Saints Trojans (Private)
• Bishop T.K. Gorman Crusaders (Private)
• Grace Community Cougars (Private)
• Cumberland Academy Knights (Charter)
• EXEL Lions (Home School / 6 Man)
• John Tyler Lions (Public)
• Kings Academy Knights (Private)
• Robert E. Lee Red Raiders (Public)
• Tyler Heat (Home School / 6 Man)

Nearby:

• The Brook Hill School Guard (Private)
• Chapel Hill Bulldogs (Public)
• Lindale Eagles (Public)
• Whitehouse Wildcats (Public)

Notable events

• Fragments of the Space Shuttle Columbia landed near Tyler on February 1, 2003. (See Space Shuttle Columbia disaster)
• On the evening of February 2, 2009, a fire engulfed a number of historic buildings located in downtown Tyler. Eight different fire departments responded to the fire.^[32]
• The Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe, which prohibited denying schooling to immigrant children, originated in the Tyler Independent School District.
• Robert E. Mead founded what later became known as Silverleaf Resorts in Tyler in 1977.
• David Arroyo shooting in the Tyler Square on the Smith County Courthouse
• In February 2017, police arrested and charged Gustavo Zavalla-Garcia relating to the murder of his niece.^[33]

Notable people

Entertainment

• Josh Carpenter – film, television, theater, internet and commercial actor
• Sandy Duncan – actress, raised in Tyler (1946- )
• Alex Finlayson – playwright (1951- )
• Kiki Shepard – television host (1951- )
• Arthur "Dooley" Wilson – musician and actor (Casablanca) (1886-1953)

Athletes

• George Cumby – NFL linebacker (1956-)
• Gary Baxter – NFL defensive back (1978- )
• Ciron Black – college football right tackle (1986- )
• Jeb Blount – NFL quarterback (1954- )
• Earl Campbell – NFL running back (1955- )
• Chris Carter – NFL defensive back (1977- )
• Travis Chick – MLB Pitcher (2006)
• Ricky Collins – CFL wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2016- )
• Tim Crowder – NFL defensive end (1985- )
• Jeremy Lane – NFL cornerback (1990- )
• Matt Flynn – NFL quarterback (1985- )
• Hunter Freeman – Major League Soccer defender/midfielder (1985- )
• Randy Grimes – NFL center (1960)
• Daniel Hernández – Major League Soccer defender/midfielder (1976- )
• Clarence Huber – MLB third baseman
• Kendall Hunter – NFL running back (1988- )
• Larry Johnson – NBA forward (1969- )
• Billie Wayne Lemons – NFL player (1955-2008)
• Tremain Mack – NFL kick returner (1974- )
• Benny Malone – NFL running back (1952- )
• Johnny Manziel – NFL quarterback (1992- ), Born in Tyler, but raised in Kerrville.- Cleveland Browns
• LaDouphyous McCalla – CFL defensive back (1976- )
• Jerry Mumphrey – MLB outfielder (1952- )
• Terrence Murphy – NFL wide receiver
• Brandon Pettigrew – NFL tight end (1985- ) – Detroit Lions
• Archie Reynolds – MLB pitcher, raised in Tyler (1946- )
• Derrell Robertson – Canadian Football League player (1967-1994)
• Aaron Ross – NFL cornerback, schooled in Tyler (1982)
• Louis Santop – Negro League catcher
• Robert Taylor – Olympic runner (1948-2007)
• Josh Tomlin – MLB pitcher (1984- )
• Lee Tunnell – MLB pitcher (1960- )
• Morgan Wade – BMX professional (1983- )
• Branch Warren – bodybuilder
• Doug Wyatt – NFL defensive back (1946- )
• Quincy Acy – NBA power forward – Sacramento Kings
• Greg Ward, Jr. – University of Houston Quarterback
• Patrick Mahomes – Texas Tech University & Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback

Musicians

• Paul Baloche – contemporary worship music singer-songwriter
• Max Bemis – lead singer of rock band Say Anything, who is also married to Sherri DuPree of Eisley^[34]
• Richard Dobson – singer-songwriter
• Eisley – indie band comprising Chauntelle, Sherri, Stacy, Weston, and Garron DuPree
• Teron Beal – Songwriter Michael Jackson. Bonnie Raitt, Mya
• Element Eighty – alternative metal band comprising Zack Bates, Ryan Carroll, David Galloway, and Matt Woods
• Johnny Gimble – award-winning fiddle player associated with Western Swing and Bob Wills
• Brandon Beal – singer-songwriter and producer
• Shaun Groves – Christian-rock singer-songwriter
• Johnny Horton – country singer
• Will Jennings – songwriter
• Ralph Kirshbaum – world-famous classical celllist
• Adrian Taylor – bassist, guitarist
• Mouse and the Traps – 1960s Garage Rock band comprising Buggs Henderson, Ken Murray, David S. Stanley, and Ronnie "Mouse" Weiss
• Ivoryline – alternative band
• Fit for a King – Christian metalcore band
• Jim Bob Floyd, pianist, composer and university professor. Listed in the Distinguished Musicians of Texas website.
• Eddie Wasserman, jazz saxophonist, well known in the New York jazz scene of the 1940s and '50s.

Others

• Jere Locke Beasley – born December 12, 1935, in Tyler, he was the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Alabama when Governor George Corley Wallace was shot and severely injured in an assassination attempt in Laurel, Maryland, on May 15, 1972. Since Wallace was out-of-state for more than 20 days, recovering in a Maryland hospital, the Alabama Constitution required the lieutenant governor to take over gubernatorial duties in the interim. Beasley, a Democrat, hence served as the acting governor of Alabama from June 5 to July 7, 1972.
• Leo Berman – Republican former member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 6
• Josh Byerly – NASA spokesman and one of the "voices of Mission Control"
• Jo-Carroll Dennison – Miss America 1942, the first Miss Texas to win the national title
• James T. Draper, Jr. – president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1982 to 1984, was a pastor in Tyler in the early 1960s.
• David O. Dykes – pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler
• Kevin Eltife – Republican member of the Texas Senate from Tyler
• Jonna Fitzgerald – former Miss Texas, runner-up in Miss America pageant, television news anchor, noted musician
• Brady P. Gentry – former Chairman Texas State Highway Commission; former US Congressman; the gymnasium at Tyler Junior College named after him
• Louie Gohmert – Republican U.S. representative and former Smith County judge
• William Wayne Justice – Democrat U.S. District Court Judge in Tyler for 30 years – made countless key decisions on environment and civil rights
• Matt Krause – Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Fort Worth; born in Tyler in 1980
• Sarah McClendon – Democrat journalist and White House correspondent for over half a century, longest tenure ever in the White House press corps
• Frank Melton (1949-2009) – born in Houston, he became general manager in 1977 of KLTV in Tyler, where he climbed the ranks before becoming president of Buford Television, Inc. He served as mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, from July 4, 2005, until his death on May 7, 2009.
• Allen R. Morris – born in Dallas, he is an Emmy Award-winning producer/director/writer. For a period, he worked for Buford Television at KLTV in Tyler, as Operations Manager and Director of Creative Services, during which time he was also a frequent actor at the Tyler Civic Theatre (1979 to 1990).
• Albert Parsons (1848-1887) – born in Alabama, he at one point resided in Tyler, where he was reared by his eldest brother, William Henry Parsons. William moved the family moved from Tyler in the mid-1850s. Albert is best remembered as one of four Chicago radical leaders convicted of conspiracy and hanged following a bomb attack on police remembered as the Haymarket Affair.
• Matt Schaefer (born 1976) – Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Tyler since 2013; lawyer and United States Navy officer
• Dan Smoot (1913-2003) – figure in the anti-communist movement; spent later years at Holly Lake Ranch in Smith County, where he died at the age of eighty-nine
• William Steger (1920-2006) – Republican U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Texas, based in Tyler, from 1970 until his death. The William M. Steger Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Tyler was named in his honor in 2006.
• Kelley Thompson- born December 8, 1987 in Tyler, Playboy Playmate for November 2009
• Ned Touchstone (1926–1988) – born in Florien, Louisiana, he was a figure in the Radical Right of the 1960s and 1970s. At the time of death, he resided on Lake Palestine near Tyler.
• Brian Werner – born in Norwood, Ohio, co-founder of Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge, located near Tyler.

Sister cities

Anna, Texas

• Lo Barnechea, Chile^[35]
• San Miguel de Allende, Mexico^[35]
• Yachiyo, Japan^[35]
• Jelenia Góra, Poland^[35]
• Liberia, Costa Rica^[35]

See also

• Cotton Belt Depot Train Museum
• List of museums in East Texas
• Tyler Museum of Art
• Whitaker-McClendon House

References

Further reading

• Austin, Gladys Peters, Along the Century Trail: Early History of Tyler, Texas (Dallas: Avalon Press, 1946)
• Burton, Morris Tyler as an Early Railroad Center, Chronicles of Smith County, Spring 1963
• Betts, Vicki, Smith County, Texas, in the Civil War (Tyler, Texas: Smith County Historical Society, 1978)
• Everett, Dianna, The Texas Cherokees: A People between Two Fires, 1819–1840 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1990)
• Glover, ed., Robert W., Tyler and Smith County, Texas (n.p.: Walsworth, 1976)
• Henderson, Adele, Smith County, Texas: Its Background and History in Ante-Bellum Days (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1926)
• McDonald, Archie P. Historic Smith County (Historical Publishing Network, 2006).
• Reed, Robert E. Jr. Images of America: Tyler (Arcadia Publishing, 2008).
• Reed, Robert E. Jr. Postcard History: Tyler (Arcadia Publishing, 2009).
• Smith County Historical Society, Historical Atlas of Smith County (Tyler, Texas: Tyler Print Shop, 1965)
• Wardlaw, Trevor P. "Sires and Sons: The Story of Hubbard’s Regiment." CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015. ISBN 978-1511963732
• Whisenhunt, Donald W. comp., Chronological History of Smith County (Tyler, Texas: Smith County Historical Society, 1983)
• Woldert, Albert, A History of Tyler and Smith County (San Antonio: Naylor, 1948)

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tyler.

Wikisource has the text of The New Student's Reference Work article about Tyler, Texas.

• City Of Tyler Website Official City Website
• KWJB RADIO the official website of the only broadcasting station in Van Zandt County