The Houston Light Guards, one of the oldest national guard companies in the state, became the first uniformed militia company in post-Reconstruction Houston. It could not form until elimination of the Republican state administration seemed imminent. Confederate veterans began to organize the unit in the fall of 1872. The 1913 and 1914 activations were under state auspices and the 1916 mobilization under federal direction. The formation of the Texas Department of Public Safety in the 1930s and expanded city police forces diminished the need for such "law and order" missions. Find out more at Houston Light Guards.

The McGovern Historical Center (MHC) is the historical and special collections department for The TMC Library. The MHC maintains rare book and archival collections. Artificial collections have been created to provide access to materials without clear provenance in order to increase discoverability. Soon after his arrival in Houston, Dr. McGovern became one of the Library’s most staunch supporters, annually supplying funds for the purchase of rare books and travel support for the librarians to attend meetings of the American Association for the History of Medicine. In 1977, The Library formed a new department with new quarters to collect historical materials and to enhance the rare book collections. In 1982, Dr. McGovern donated his personal collection of rare and historical books to the Library. In 1996 the Library’s Board of Directors named the historical department in his honor.