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In 2007, he was named the "Best Living Non-Fiction Writer" by ''True West Magazine.''​

In 2007, he was named the "Best Living Non-Fiction Writer" by ''True West Magazine.''​

O'Neal is a former Texas state historian, a position to which he was appointed in 2012 by [[Governor]] [[Rick Perry]]. He spoke at a public forum on March 24, 2013, at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in [[Austin]] on the topic, "The Leadership Roles of Sam Houston."<ref>West Texas Historical Association newsletter, March 20, 2013.</ref>

From 2012 to 2018, O'Neal was the Texas state historian, a position to which he was appointed by then [[Governor]] [[Rick Perry]]. He spoke at a public forum on March 24, 2013, at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in [[Austin]] on the topic, "The Leadership Roles of Sam Houston."<ref>West Texas Historical Association newsletter, March 20, 2013.</ref>

On August 10, 2013, O'Neal addressed the summer advanced degree commencement at his ''alma mater'', Texas A&M at Commerce; university president Dr. Dan Jones presented him with an honorary doctor of letters degree. The Bill O'Neal Hall, a new dormitory at Panola College, is named in his honor.<ref>Tai Kreidler, "Texas State Historian Awarded Honorary Doctor of Letters and Dormitory Named in His Honor," West Texas Historial Association newsletter, August 19, 2013.</ref>​

On August 10, 2013, O'Neal addressed the summer advanced degree commencement at his ''alma mater'', Texas A&M at Commerce; university president Dr. Dan Jones presented him with an honorary doctor of letters degree. The Bill O'Neal Hall, a new dormitory at Panola College, is named in his honor.<ref>Tai Kreidler, "Texas State Historian Awarded Honorary Doctor of Letters and Dormitory Named in His Honor," West Texas Historial Association newsletter, August 19, 2013.</ref>​

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In the fall of 2015, O'Neal's last action as an historian was the presentation of a paper at the East Texas Historical Association conference in which he advocated for the importance of citizen historians.<ref>Special

In the fall of 2025, in his last action as an historian, he presented a paper at the East Texas Historical Association conference in which he advocated for the importance of citizen historians.<ref>Special

WTHA E-Newsletter: Bill O'Neal Death, November 4, 2025.</ref>

WTHA E-Newsletter: Bill O'Neal Death, November 4, 2025.</ref>

He died at the age of eighty-three. His services were held at Central Baptist Church in Carthage, where he had married his third wife

 

in 1996.

O'Neal died at the age of eighty-three. His services were held at Central Baptist Church in Carthage, where he had married his third wife

in 1996. He is interred at Pattison Cemetery in Navarro County, Texas.

==Bibliography==

==Bibliography==