The West Texas Historical Association was organized in 1924 in Abilene at Simmons College (as Hardin-Simmons University was then called). In 1996, the WTHA moved its editorial offices to Lubbock and Texas Tech University, and in 1998 it moved its executive offices there as well. Since 1924 the association has held an annual meeting and published its scholarly journal, West Texas Historical Review (formerly the WTHA Year Book.) Officers and board members of the organization are all dedicated volunteers.

Throughout its long and distinguished history, the WTHA has encompassed a wide range of both professional and non-professional historians-- from lawyers and physicians to ranchers, business people, and teachers. Although their interests vary, members share a common desire to preserve the rich history of the West Texas region for present and future generations.