Open House for the New
Texas Rangers Company "F" Headquarters &
Texas Rangers Public Safety Education Center

One June 12, 2010, during the annual Texas Ranger Reunion, an open house was held for the new Company "F" Headquarters and Public Safety Education Center. The project was funded by the City of Waco and the Texas Legislature.

The Hon. Jim Bush, Mayor of Waco, Allan Polunsky, Chairman of the Texas Public Safety Commission, and Texas Ranger Hall of Fame Board Chairman Joe Hinton spoke to the meaning and promise of the facility:

Remarks by the Hon. Jim Bush, Mayor of Waco

For 42 years the City of Waco has had the honor and privilege of serving as a home of the legendary Texas Rangers. Since 1968 Waco has hosted their historical center, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, and the headquarters of Texas Rangers Company "F." 

We appreciate this honor and the trust that Texas DPS and the Texas Rangers have placed in our community. It is a partnership and responsibility that Waco takes seriously because Texas Ranger "roots" run deep in our community.

Waco's history began with a Texas Ranger post called Fort Fisher on the banks of the Brazos River in 1837.  Later, the townsite of Waco was surveyed by Ranger George B. Erath in 1849.

The Texas Rangers are as important to Waco as the Alamo is to San Antonio.

This new headquarters building and education center is a sign of this commitment.  On the surface it is an office building and meeting space. But Company "F" headquarters is far more. It is a symbol that represents not just Company "F", but all of the Ranger companies.

Six captains have commanded Company "F" over the last four decades, and like the Rangers at the other companies, the men and women of Company "F" have rendered remarkable service.

Among their "routine" duties, they investigate and and assist other agencies with murders, kidnappings, hostage situations, drug trafficking, public corruption, and major thefts. They have recovered fugitives from countries as distant as Honduras, shut down an an international child pornography ring and assisted with the protection of a President.

Two Company "F" Rangers have been awarded Commissioners' Medals of Valor. One, Stan Guffey, gave his life to save a child from a homicidal kidnapper.

We can only imagine what history will be made here in the future. Waco thanks the present and past Rangers of Company "F" and the Texas Rangers as a whole.

Today we are standing in the new Texas Ranger Education Center which is also part of our commitment. The late Bob Mitchell, a Captain of Company "F", served on the board of this museum for many years. He supported the idea of a center to teach civic responsibility, safety, and positive life choices. Located next to Company "F" and its Rangers, it will be a powerful teaching tool.

[As part of this open house Jerry Mitchell unveiled a memorial in Capt. Mitchell's honor.]

Thank you for being with us today. We thank the Texas Public Safety Commission, the Texas Rangers and our Legislators for this privilege.

Remarks by the Hon. Allan B. Polunsky, Chairman, Texas Public Safety Commission

It is a pleasure to be here on behalf of the Texas Public Safety Commission. In opening this building we recognize a partnership between Waco and the Texas Department of Public Safety forged almost 50 years ago.

In the early 1960s the civic leaders of Waco—at that time a town of less than 100,000—approached Texas DPS with a bold proposal. They asked the Public Safety Commission for permission to build the official museum for a treasured State symbol—the Texas Rangers.
 
Col. Homer Garrison, Director of Texas DPS, didn't think the idea had much of a chance.  The concept honored the Texas Rangers, but Texas DPS had no funds for a museum and didn’t think Waco had the resources.  He told the delegation to think about it and come back with a written plan. It would help, he suggested, if there was something that would directly benefit the Department.

Col. Garrison probably didn’t expect the Waco delegation them to return, but return they did with an offer of land, a museum building, and all operating costs. In return they asked the Texas Public Safety Commission for official sanction to build the official museum of the Texas Rangers. As Col. Garrison suggested, in their proposal they offered something of great value to the Department.

Until their move here in 1968, Texas Rangers Company "F" Headquarters was located in rented office space in downtown Waco. The City offered to build a new headquarters building at the museum—at no cost to DPS. They would also and provide utilities, maintenance and use of the museum facilities in perpetuity. In response to this commitment the Commission accepted Waco's offer over proposals from larger, richer cities.

This alliance, born in 1964 between Texas DPS and Waco, has lasted 42 years.  In recognition of Waco's service the Legislature authorized a Texas Ranger Hall of Fame to be constructed at the museum in 1973. In 1997, for the175th anniversary of the Texas Rangers, the Legislature made the museum the "official repository for Texas Ranger memorabilia."

Today, with the opening of this new Company "F" Headquarters, Texas DPS honors Waco's commitment and service. We recognize the sacrifices it has taken to make this project a reality. Unexpected challenges caused unbudgeted costs to spiral to a significant amount for a City of this size, especially in the midst of a recession.

In the finest Texas Ranger tradition Waco did not falter.  They persevered and reaffirmed this relationship. Together the State and the City have provided a company Headquarters for a Texas Legend.

Mayor Bush, the Texas Public Safety Commission wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to the people of Waco. Thank you for being home to a Texas Legend, the Texas Rangers.

Remarks by Joe B. Hinton, Chairman, Texas Ranger Hall of Fame Board

Thanks for being with us today at the opening of the new Texas Rangers Company "F" Headquarters and Education Center. 

We appreciate the Texas Rangers, active and retired, being here. We would also like to thank the Texas Ranger Association Foundation for scheduling this as part of their annual Reunion activities.

It is my privilege to recognize the organizations that helped us make this happen.

As you know, unexpected circumstances made this project far more complicated and expensive than originally planned. It was completed because of the dedicated efforts and hands-on support of many organizations and individuals.

 I'm going to try and recognize them—please forgive any omissions.

The Public Safety Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Rangers Division approved this effort and supported it in the Legislature. They showed enormous patience as we worked to overcome the challenges we encountered.

We want to express our thanks to these agencies through Chairman Allan Polunsky, Director Steven McCraw, Chief Tony Leal and Capt. Kirby Dendy. Their patience and faith that we would complete it are appreciated.

State funds were needed for construction due to the magnitude of the project. Our State Legislative delegations accomplished this over the course of two legislative sessions:

Senator Kip Averitt
Representative Jim Dunnam
Representative Doc Anderson
Representative Jim Pitts of Waxahachie

This building is here because the People of Waco believed in what it symbolizes and the importance of Waco's and the State's Texas Ranger heritage. We thank the citizens of Waco and their representatives:

 Waco City Council
Former Mayor Virginia DuPuy
 Waco City Manager Larry Groth

The architect for this project was Jacobs and the general contractor for this project was Imperial Construction.

There were many unanticipated delays during the project stemming from unexpected conditions and the requirements of regulatory agencies. Jacobs and Imperial Construction helped plan work-arounds and made changes to meet State and Federal regulatory requirements.

We would like to thank the Texas Facilities Commission and the Texas DPS building projects group who monitored construction and collaborated on making it a success.

Departments throughout the City of Waco interrupted scheduled projects to contribute significant amounts of time, equipment and people, sometimes on very short notice. There are too many individuals to name, but we would like to extend our thanks:

City Manager's Office
Legal Department
Facilities Department
City of Waco Utilities
Engineering Department
Streets Department
Inspection Department
Risk Management
Parks & Recreation Department
Finance & Budget Departments

The field archaeology necessary to complete this project was very complex and time consuming.  It involved approvals from agencies such as the Texas Historical Commission, National Park Service and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.  

The archaeological contractor who worked with us to resolve this was PBS&J. We appreciate their diligence in keeping the project on track, responding quickly to unanticipated situations, and their professionalism.

Two donor groups stand out who helped us equip and furnish these buildings:

The Waco Foundation provided a generous grant for tables, chairs, audio-visual and teaching equipment for the Education Center. Their gift will make the Education Center useful to many organizations.

Some years ago the museum created a program to raise funds to furnish the Texas Rangers Headquarters—the Junior Texas Ranger program.

More than 2,200 children were sponsored by parents and relatives as Junior Rangers. Their contributions have furnished Company "F" Headquarters and helped to fund the educational programs of the museum.

Finally, the Board would like to recognize the Staff of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. They understood the importance of keeping Texas Rangers Company "F" Headquarters at the museum.

Over the last four years the staff has managed the considerable demands of this project while maintaining the museum's seven-day-a-week operating schedule, expanding educational programs, refurbishing exhibits and working on the renovation of Knox Center and the Armstrong Research Center. We are grateful for their exceptional dedication.