By Antonio Lopez and Andres Rios The original Jack Yates campus, located at 2610 Elgin, was the second Black high school in Houston. The school became a pillar of the community and a beacon of education in the Third Ward. The school has been home to notable alumni, from musicians and artists to activists and politicians. Photo courtesy of the Sloane Collection. A pillar […]
By: Heather Butina-Sutton Hazel Hainsworth Young with her students at Jack Yates High School, 1949. A lifelong educator, Young taught Latin at Yates for thirty-two years. Richard Hayes Sr. said, “The teachers like Mrs. [Hazel] Hainesworth and Mrs. Virginia Miller who taught me Latin…were the heroes, nuns of our time. They really made us.” Photo Courtesy of the […]
by Debbie Z. Harwell A leader in the Third Ward community, William S. Holland served as principal of Jack Yates High School from 1941-1958. Photo courtesy of Deloris Johnson. “Mr. Holland … spoke out about what he thought was best for his students no matter what it was, no matter to whom he was speaking, he […]
By Adithi Nythruva The first Jack Yates band was formed five years after the school’s opening, led by Charles B. Johnson, who, besides being a practicing dentist, was an accomplished trumpet player who instilled jazz into the young players. Photo courtesy of Conrad O. Johnson Collection, African American Research Center, Houston Public Library. The year 2026 marks […]
By Ana C. Parker and A’Viyon Robinson From its founding in 1926, Jack Yates High School in Houston, Texas, has seen thousands of students enter its doors and walk its storied halls, going on to graduate in pursuit of vastly varied lives and careers. Of these graduates, many have gone on to be notable figures, while a host of other Yates alumni have distinguished themselves across the fields of entertainment, education, law, […]
By Lexi Gaddis For three quarters of a century, the M.D. Anderson Library has stood as a beacon of learning and a gathering place that unites the campus community. Photo courtesy of University of Houston. The M.D. Anderson Library can be found at the heart of the University of Houston (UH) campus, filled with students tucked into study rooms, fingers typing on keyboards, and textbooks stacked […]
Joe Pratt, NEH Cullen Chair of Business and History By Debbie Z. Harwell, Editor It is with great sadness we share the news that our founder and friend Joe Pratt passed away on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Beloved by family, friends, colleagues, and students, Joe brought joy to all who knew him. He always said […]
By Maya Bouchebl Dima Suki attended the American University of Beirut in the early 1980s. Bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the bustling city streets on the other, the campus is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. All photos courtesy of Dima Suki unless otherwise noted. The first wave […]
By Marisa Ramierez The story of the University of Houston (UH) at Sugar Land has two parts: its history as a University of Houston System (UHS) campus and its history as a University of Houston instructional site. Woven through its history, like the winding Brazos River, are partnerships with other higher education entities, city and […]
By Mackenzie Vance Participants at the NWC used their crafting skills to create buttons and pins, as well as other graphics, to visually communicate their ideas and beliefs. Photo courtesy of the Dorothy Marder Papers, Peace Collection, Swarthmore College. As more than 20,000 attendees flocked to the 1977 National Women’s Conference (NWC), they did so […]
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