Author Archive | Houston History Magazine

PGH Inaugural Robe 1962

Philip G. Hoffman Leading UH

By Megan R. Dagnall President Philip G. Hoffman oversaw critical reforms, most significantly the start of campus desegregation. Photo courtesy of Houstonian, 1975, University of Houston Libraries, Digital Collections. As one of the most ethnically diverse major research university in the United States, the University of Houston’s identity is intertwined with its varied, multicultural student […]

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JUlian Schnabel

50 Years of Blaffer Art Museum

By Pete Gershon Installation view of Julien Schnabel’s work, entitled Crows Flying the Black Flag of Themselves, 1988. Photo courtesy of the Blaffer Art Museum. In the early 1970s, Houston was shaking off its mid-century identity as a provincial backwater. The Johnson Space Center directed regular flights to the moon. The city’s major league ball […]

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coming up taller

Blaffer’s Education Programs

By Katherine Veneman Katherine Veneman and YAAP participant Jessica Flores accept the Coming Up Taller award from First Lady Michelle Obama, November 4, 2009. Photo courtesy of Steven E. Purcell. The Blaffer has a particular energy, sparked by intellectual freedom and curiosity that motivates the best programs. Programs often begin with a simple query, “What […]

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Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Mayor Kathy Whitmire

By Cameron Thompson Kathy Whitmire led Houston during a ten-year, five-term tenure as mayor from 1982 to 1992. Photo courtesy of the Kathy Whitmire Papers Collection, box 5, folder 6, University of Houston Libraries. Kathy Whitmire brought many firsts to Houston during her rapid rise in local politics. A native Houstonian, she spent her childhood […]

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1982-83

Phi Slama Jama

By Daniel Melian with Steven Miller  The 1982-83 University of Houston Cougars. Front row, left to right, Reid Gettys, Eric Dickens, Alvin Franklin, David Rose, Derek Giles, and Renaldo Thomas. Back row, Benny Ander, Gary Orsak, Larry Micheaux, Dan Bunce, Akeem (later Hakeem) Olajuwon, David Bunce, Clyde Drexler, and Michael Young. Photo courtesy of UH […]

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Christine Ha Four Senses head shot (Varner Productions Ltd)

“The Blind Cook,” Christine Hà

By Katherine R. Galland Christine Hà had plans to go into business and finance before discovering her love of cooking and losing her sight. Today she is defying the odds as a renowned chef and restaurant owner. Photo courtesy of John Suh.  Imagine cooking without seeing the ingredients, the measuring utensils, knives, pans, or burners […]

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Group_Photo_MSA

A Pioneer of Local Diversity: University of Houston’s Muslim Student Association 

By Laura Mullis Brown  UHMSA poses with their trophies after winning first place for the 2022-23 school year at the state-wide MSA Showdown. MSA organizations from across Texas compete in sports, Nasheed (singing), fashion, and more. Photo courtesy of UHMSA marketing coordinator Zuhayr Haq.  If you visit the University of Houston’s Student Center South on […]

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Elizabeth D. Rockwell’s Legacy 

By Katy Allred  Elizabeth D. Rockwell. Box 12, folder, 49. All photos courtesy of the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Papers, University of Houston Libraries.   What this donor, and I believe most donors want, is a way to make a positive difference…We want people to anticipate and solve problems, to listen and to act wisely. We are […]

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