I remember the first time I saw the sign that read “Independence Heights: Historic Houston Community.” It piqued my curiosity, and that interest stayed with me. As the years went by, townhomes that reigned on the other side of the 610 Loop began creeping into the historic neighborhood. As the landscape changed and the old […]
Archive | Communities
Marching into History: The Sisterhood of the Stephen F. Austin Scottish Brigade
On June 23, 1972, nearly thirty-five years prior to the passage of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or educational program that receives federal funding, there was the Scottish Brigade Drill Team. Beatrice Lytle, the group’s sponsor, organized the Scottish Brigade Drill Team in September of 1937 in conjunction with the newly […]
Capturing Diversity in Houston’s Near Northside
University of Houston Anthropology and World Cultures photography students enrolled in the Visual Stories class experienced the world of the historic Near Northside as they walked about the neighborhoods during the spring of 2023. Impressed by the multi-layered history of the city, they looked for the firsts in the neighborhood. Although we could not see […]
Philip G. Hoffman Leading UH
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 body. With students from 137 different nations, the University of Houston (UH) is a melting pot of cultures and identities that reflect the city’s community. Knowing that makes it […]
A Pioneer of Local Diversity: University of Houston’s Muslim Student Association
If you visit the University of Houston’s Student Center South on a Monday, you might run into a group of students running the “Dawah Dollar Mondays” table event. The young men ask passing students one question about Islam, and if the participant answers correctly, they win cash. The University of Houston Muslim Student Association (UHMSA) […]
Agents of Change
Discover the latest issue of Houston History exploring people who have impacted the Houston community and beyond.
Burdette Keeland, Jr.: “The Bird” Who Built a Better Houston
By Robert Perla VenturaKnown by his friends as ”Bird,” Keeland became one of Houston’s premier architects.Burdette Keeland, Jr. was a man as busy as they come. As an architect, professor, and chairperson of the Houston Planning Commission, Keeland was always working to better our city. A graduate of the University of Houston (UH) and a […]
The UH Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine: For the City
By Max Hosaka with Grace ConroyThe University of Houston’s College of Medicine holds a white coat ceremony to welcome its first incoming class on August 8, 2020. All photos courtesy of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine unless otherwise noted.Nestled just beyond downtown Houston sits “the largest medical city in the world” – […]
Agents of Change: Celebrating Innovation at UH’s Centennial, A Collaborative Exhibit
By Mary ManningGraduate students in Dr. Monica Perales’s Research in Public History class search University of Houston archival records for exhibit items. These boxes represent a mere fraction of the physical and digital materials students considered over two semesters. Shown left to right, Stephon Boykin, Rahil Asgari, and Alec Story. Photo courtesy of Monica Perales. […]
Making Memories at Miller Outdoor Theatre: A Centennial of the Arts
By Samantha de LeónMiller Outdoor Theatre during a summer symphony night. All photos courtesy of Miller Outdoor Theatre.In February 1969, forty-six years after Miller Outdoor Theatre opened and a year after moving into its new facility, Houston Chronicle fine arts editor Ann Holmes questioned what was next for the outdoor amphitheater. Nestled in the heart […]