Houston History celebrates its twentieth anniversary with its fiftieth issue in the fall of 2023. The issue also marks the culmination of the three-year grant project: 100 Years of Stories – Documenting a Century at the University of Houston highlighting the way the university, its programs, and individuals have impacted the community.
Archive | Politics
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 […]
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 […]
Cougars Fostering Inclusion in the U.S. Military
By Christine Le with Jacob Loew General Barrye Price, LTC Melissa Comiskey, and 2LT Katelyn Kubosh have each played a role in opening doors to women in the U.S. Military. Photos courtesy of the U.S. Army. Serving in the military requires a noble spirit along with a strong passion for service and our nation. Enlistment, […]
Nancy Sims and Katy Caldwell Talk on Political Junkies and Poodle Hair
By Max Ward Katy Caldwell, left, and Nancy Sims, right, celebrate Nancy’s thirtieth birthday together in 1989. The pair met while working on a political campaign in 1984. All photos courtesy of Nancy Sims and Katy Caldwell unless otherwise noted. Katy Caldwell and Nancy Sims both grew up in Houston in the 1960s. One was […]
20.1 Innovative Thinkers: Letter from the Editor
Debbie Z. Harwell, Editor Do you ever wonder when you see a new product, “Why didn’t I think of that?” (Sometimes followed by, “I’d be rich!”). As Google search for the question, “how do we get ideas?” returned 4.4 billion responses. (That’s billion with a “B”!). So, I did what most of us do and […]
“Our Story”: The Unshakeable Love of Phyllis and Trish Frye
University of Houston graduate Phyllis Frye, affectionately known as the grandmother of the transgender legal and political movement, reflects on her life as an advocate and shares memories of her decades-long marriage with Trish, a beloved music teacher who passed away in 2020.
Preserving Black LGBTQ+ History
By Erika Thompson On a brisk December morning, over flaky croissants and Parisian tea in dainty, porcelain cups, the answer was yes. Overwhelmingly, emphatically, unequivocally YES. There was no need to finish either the pitch or the ask; we were already completely on board. Houston LGBTQ activist Charles Law addresses a crowd during the 1979National March on Washington for Lesbianand Gay Rights.Photo courtesy of Botts Collection of LGBT History. It is a […]
Houston Area Women’s Center
By Lena Craven HAWC staff and volunteers cheerfully assist with the move to the center’s new headquarters at No. 4 Chelsea Place. All photos courtesy of Houston Area Women’s Clinic Photographs, Carey Shuart Women’s Research Collection, Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries. Ellen Cohen remembers the public perception surrounding the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) […]
The History of Hospital Care in Waller County
By Michael Zhou and Mark Tschaepe Illustrated in the 1926 PVAMU yearbook, the second iteration hospital has clearly upgraded from the first iteration, embodying the foundation for PVAMU’s College of Nursing. Photo courtesy of Prairie View A&M University Special Collections/Archives Department. A cross-shaped, one-story, beige building stands on 6th Street in Hempstead, Texas. Some old […]