Only 21 individuals have been named Fellows of the Texas Folklore Society in the organization’s 116-year history. In April, the latest inductee into the esteemed group, lifetime member Kay Reed Arnold (Austin), was honored in Fort Worth. Donna Ingham (Bertram), 2023–24 Past President, nominated Kay for the honor and shared her reasoning when presenting the award at the Celebration Luncheon during our recent Annual Meeting.
Kay’s contributions are numerous, dating back to when she joined TFS in 2001. She has given papers at our annual gatherings and represented TFS in sessions at East Texas Historical Association and Texas State H
istorical Association annual conferences. Kay has served as a local arranger multiple times, leading meeting planning. She helped transform our meetings by establishing the President’s Pre-Hootenanny Reception and Past Presidents Club Celebration Luncheon. She should also be thanked for incorporating refreshments into meeting breaks and introducing door prizes to help keep attendees happy and engaged.
Kay has also been a valued and trusted leader, serving four three-year stints on the board of directors, and as President in 2021–22. In the early 2000s, Kay began assisting with marketing and membership, focusing on social media and other recruiting efforts; TFS started participating in outreach events like the Texas Book Festival, Texas Folklife Festival, and Schreiner’s Music Festival. Kay served on the 2017–18 Future of TFS Committee, which culminated in the 2018 Future of Texas Folklore Society report and led to the establishment of new bylaws and the formation of the organization’s first strategic plan. In 2020, Kay and Lori Najvar (Austin) rebranded TFS, which unveiled a new logo, website, newsletter, and more.
Kay also served on the committee that sought out a new host institution and rolled up her sleeves to assist with the move to Tarleton. During her term as president, Kay led the organization in the hiring of Secretary-Editor/Executive Director Kristina Downs and Office Manager Amanda Jenkins. Kay trained staff on newly implemented membership management tools and continued to work closely with them for more than a year, including assisting with planning our first annual meeting following the pandemic. As recently as 2023, Kay recommended that the board of directors approve the establishment of the Hermes Nye Hootenanny Award to acknowledge the importance of Paisanos who lead our hoots. She has also joined forces with others to donate to TFS endowments at Tarleton State University.
Finally, Kay will tell you that she’s very proud to have twisted the arms of many Paisanos—whether to give a paper when the program committee was short one, volunteer at an event, or serve on the board.
Thank you, Kay for all you have done and continue to do for TFS.