A Homecoming for Sheridan’s Work

Texas State University is about to receive a major cultural gift from one of its most famous former students. Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone and its hit spin-offs, has donated a collection of his writings to the university’s Wittliff Collections, a prestigious archive celebrating Texas and Southwestern storytelling.

Sheridan, 55, studied theater at Texas State until 1991 and was awarded an honorary doctorate there earlier this year. Now, he’s entrusting the university with scripts from some of his most acclaimed works, ensuring that his creative process will be preserved for generations.

What the Collection Includes

The initial archive will debut with draft scripts from Sheridan’s films Sicario and Hell or High Water, as well as pilot scripts for Yellowstone, 1883, and 1923. Over time, more material will be added, giving fans, scholars, and aspiring writers a rare inside look at how Sheridan shapes his gritty, character-driven dramas.

Preserving a Legacy of Western Storytelling

David Coleman, director of The Wittliff Collections, praised the donation as a milestone in preserving contemporary storytelling:
“Sheridan’s storytelling has transformed not only television and film but also the cultural imagination of Texas and the American West. His archive will be an essential resource for understanding how contemporary stories are crafted, and we are immensely proud that he has entrusted The Wittliff to preserve and share his legacy.”

The Wittliff Collections, housed in the Alkek Library at Texas State’s San Marcos campus, already includes archives from literary greats like Cormac McCarthy and Sandra Cisneros, along with script materials from early seasons of King of the Hill. Sheridan’s addition further cements the archive as a hub for modern American storytelling.

From Actor to Storyteller

Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most in-demand writers, Sheridan was a working actor, appearing in shows like Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars. His leap into writing and directing reshaped his career — and the television landscape. Today, beyond Yellowstone and its prequels, Sheridan’s creative empire includes Tulsa King, Lioness, and Landman.

With this donation, Texas State students and fans of Sheridan’s work will gain an unprecedented window into how his stories — both intimate and epic — are born on the page before they ever hit the screen.