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- Kenneth Muckelroy, MM(67), EdD(74) on Letter from the Editor: Confronting Jim Crow
- Richard Thompson on Illinois Jacquet: Integrating Houston Jazz Audiences
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Blue Bell: The Cream Rises to the Top
104 years, eight managers, and one family turned a [...]
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Sonny Look: A Humble Showman
I will never forget the first time I saw Sonny Loo [...]
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Food for the Body, Food for the Spirit: Irma Galvan and her Award-winning Mexican Restaurant, Irma’s
In the 1940s, young Irma González Galvan moved wi [...]
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Ideal Housewives: Home Economics at the University of Houston
The Home Economics Department at the University of [...]
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The Raw Truth: A Conversation with Cheryl Pradia and Ezell Wilson
For a few years in the mid-2000s, S.H.A.P.E. Commu [...]
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Eat Fresh, Eat Local: A History of Urban Gardening and Food Education
There is a movement that places importance on know [...]
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Annette Finnigan: Building an Enlightened Community
Annette Finnigan—energetic suffrage leader, astu [...]
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“Any day above ground is a good one.” A Conversation with the National Museum of Funeral History’s Director, Genevieve Keeney
Robert L. Waltrip founded the National Museum of F [...]
Blue Bell: The Cream Rises to the Top
104 years, eight managers, and one family turned a down-home creamery in Brenham, Texas, into one of the most respected companies in the region and the country. The name Blue Bell has become synonymous with ice cream, and the little creamery in Brenham now sets the gold standard for ice cream production while retaining the down-home feel that first made the creamery popular among folks in Central Texas. From the original hand crank freezer to the state-of-the-art facilities today, Blue Bell incorporates the same personal service and care that it did when it started as the Brenham Creamery Company in 1907. ...
Read MoreSonny Look: A Humble Showman
I will never forget the first time I saw Sonny Look. My family went to Look’s Sir-Loin House to celebrate a special occasion in 1960, a time before eating out was common or Houston had become a national restaurant capitol. Not long after the hostess seated us, a man approached our table, a larger-than-life kind of guy wearing a red brocade jacket. He was incredibly friendly and spoke to all of us—even me, an eight-year-old—as if we were the most important customers who ever walked in the door. My parents raved about the steaks, and my dad appreciated the complimentary glass of wine Look offered to the adults. Since Texas law still prohibited liquor by the drink except in private clubs, that free glass of wine had tremendous appeal! Look won us over on that first visit … ...
Read MoreFood for the Body, Food for the Spirit: Irma Galvan and her Award-winning Mexican Restaurant, Irma’s
In the 1940s, young Irma González Galvan moved with her family from Brownsville, Texas to Houston’s Second Ward. As children, Irma's brothers shined shoes, while Irma and her sister worked at their school cafeteria and neighboring bakeries in order to help their mother. These early experiences, combined with later work in retail, and the desire to overcome personal tragedy, culminated in Galvan’s 1989 opening of her own Mexican restaurant, Irma’s. ...
Read MoreIdeal Housewives: Home Economics at the University of Houston
The Home Economics Department at the University of Houston lasted from 1945 to 1977. According to the 1950 University of Houston Yearbook, The Houstonian, Home Economics offered instruction in food and nutrition, institution administration, clothing, textiles, costume design, interior decoration, child development, family life, and home economics education. ...
Read MoreThe Raw Truth: A Conversation with Cheryl Pradia and Ezell Wilson
For a few years in the mid-2000s, S.H.A.P.E. Community Center in Houston’s Third Ward was the home to The Raw Truth Vegetarian Restaurant and Vegan Café, a local eatery that served both cooked and raw food meals to a varied clientele. One of the restaurant’s defining and unique characteristics was its raw food preparations. ...
Read MoreEat Fresh, Eat Local: A History of Urban Gardening and Food Education
There is a movement that places importance on knowing where food comes from for nutritious, environmental, and economic reasons. This trend has taken many forms, such as community gardening, schools gardens, farmers’ markets, and even restaurants that support local growers. The UH – Oral History of Houston has collected several interviews that document this endeavor. This article includes excerpts from a few of these oral histories done by UH graduate students that provide a glimpse into this growing movement. ...
Read MoreAnnette Finnigan: Building an Enlightened Community
Annette Finnigan—energetic suffrage leader, astute businesswoman, visionary philanthropist—became involved in many aspects of Houston’s development. Her contributions have had a significant impact on its citizens. Yet today few Houstonians are familiar with her name. ...
Read More“Any day above ground is a good one.” A Conversation with the National Museum of Funeral History’s Director, Genevieve Keeney
Robert L. Waltrip founded the National Museum of Funeral History in 1992 in order to “educate the public and preserve the heritage of death care.” Waltrip’s family founded the Heights Funeral Home in Houston, Texas, and Waltrip became director upon his father’s untimely death. He expanded the business, Service Corporation International, into what is today the largest funeral service corporation in the country. Having witnessed the variety of traditions, customs, and rituals that accompany funerals and the funeral industry, Waltrip felt it was important to open a museum to showcase how they have evolved over time. ...
Read MoreLetter from the Editor: Blue Bell Memories
One of my earliest memories is the regal feeling of sitting on top of a hand-cranked freezer as my dad grinded away making home-made ice cream. The anticipation that grew during the long process of mixing and cranking enhanced the enjoyment of the final product, which was much better than the cheap mellorine my mom brought home from the grocery store. Store-bought ice cream as good as home-made was unknown to me until I discovered Blue Bell sometime in my late teens. ...
Read MoreTony Vasquez and Chimichurrri’s Grill
Sonny Look impacted the lives of many of his employees and the lessons they learned working in his restaurants opened new opportunities. One such person is Tony Vasquez, co-owner of Chimichurri’s South American Grill, a successful waterfront restaurant in Kingwood. ...
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