"Old Hoodoo"  The Battleship Texas: America's First Battleship 1895-1911
Mark David Cowan is a native Texan and has a Masters Degree in Architecture with a Certificate in Historic Preservation from Texas A&M; University where, in addition to his architectural studies, he completed courses in engineering, nautical archeology, military, and naval history.  He has worked both privately and for the State of Texas in the field of architectural preservation for over a decade and is currently a project reviewer for the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program at the Texas Historical Commission. Alan K. Sumrall is the author of the book Battle Flags of Texans in the Confederacy, published by Eakin Press, Austin, 1995.  He is by profession an attorney at law in Austin, Texas and volunteers as the Antique Vehicle Coordinator at the Pioneer Flight Museum located at Kingsbury, Texas.  He is a contributing author to the Spanish American War Centennial and the Flags of the Confederacy websites and is a member of the associated email-ring of Confederate vexillologists.  His next literary project is anticipated to be “America's First Machine Gun - The Colt 1895 Automatic.”  He is also an active living history participant focusing on 1916 US Army Impression (border period).