Jim Tiller

Professor
Geography

A fifth-generation Texan born in Dallas, I came to SHSU in 1972 and until 1982 served as the Chairman of the Department of Geography. My wife Nancy and I have two children. Sandy and her husband Max Schulz live in Dallas where Max is employed with Exxon. Sandy has her own book publicity business based in Washington, DC. She and Max are the parents of three of our favorite grandchildren - Pete, Joe, and Dominic. Son Rick lives in Los Angeles where he is the Vice President of Global Partner Management and Content Distribution for Sony Music Entertainment and the father of our two other favorite grandchildren, Nora and Lucy.

My research interests are historical-geographical in nature and center around the Sabine River-Caddo Lake border area of Texas and adjacent Louisiana during the early Republic of Texas period. Recent journal articles have dealt with historic-era Caddo villages, Mexican and Republic of Texas land surveys, and early Anglo settlement in eastern Harrison/Panola Counties, Texas and adjacent Caddo Parish, Louisiana. Recent books include (2020) with Nancy Tiller and Gang Gong, A Boundary Atlas of Texas, 1821-1845. (2008), with my brother Wayne, our Tiller family history book entitled: Our American Adventure: The History of a Pioneer East Texas Family, 1657-1966. The book won the 2008 Texas State Genealogical Society's First Place Award, Category I, Family History Book by a Non-Genealogist; (2010), Before the Line, Vol. I, An Annotated Atlas of International Boundaries and Republic of Texas Administrative Units Along the Caddo Lake-Sabine River Borderland, 1803-1841; (2012) Before the Line: Vol. II Letters from the Red River, 1809-1842; (2013) Before the Line, Vol. III, Caddo Indians: The Final Years; (2014) Jehiel Brooks and the Grappe Reservation: The Archival Record; (2017), with John P. Evans, Jr., Evolution of the Texas-Louisiana Boundary: In Search of the Elusive Corner; (2017), with John P. Evans, Jr., Evolution of Louisiana’s Unofficial Boundary.