The 2008 Texas State Genealogical Society?s 48th annual ?conference, Following the Evidence Trail, will take place October 24-25, 2008 in Abilene, Texas. This year's conference is co-hosted by the West Texas Genealogical Society. There will be vendors and door prizes; APG road show - free consultations; partner society special sessions; round table mini-sessions, and an awards banquet.?

The speaker is joint editor of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, trustee and a past president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, a former trustee of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and recipient of its 2004 Grahame T. Smallwood Jr. Award of Merit. An active genealogist since his teens, Tom's research has encompassed re?cords of every state east of the Mississippi, as well as Iowa, Missouri, Texas, France, Germany, Italy and Ireland. He specializes, however, in Georgia and Virginia research. Tom writes and speaks frequently on genealogical methods that have broad application across geographic areas, time periods, and levels of expertise. In his nongenealogical life he is professor of education at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

Lecture Topics:

• What is the Standard of Proof in Genealogy?
• Missing Something? Getting the Most out of Genealogical evidence
• The Jones Jinx: Tracing Common Surnames
• Solving Problems with Original Sources
• Organizing Evidence to Overcome Record Shortages
• Honesty, Courtesy and Confidentiality: Ethics for Family Historians