Writer and Author
Dr. Edgar Odell Lovett, Rice Institute’s first president, is responsible for many of the traditions there. He commissioned an academic seal to represent the school, the design for which incorporated owls, which symbolized learning and wisdom. Students adopted the owl…
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Paul Neal “Red” Adair is remembered today as the undisputed King of Oilwell Firefighting, a long way from the humble circumstances into which he was born on June 18, 1915, in Houston. Adair, the son of a blacksmith, dropped out…
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The 1800s were not an easy time in which to live in Houston. Settlers built their homes from scratch, grew their own food, and protected their property against Indian attacks. The living conditions were not for the fainthearted. Scalawags, scoundrels,…
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On May 3, 1968, Dr. Denton Cooley, a Houston native, successfully performed the first heart transplant in the United States. The patient was Everett Thomas, an accountant whose heart had been damaged by rheumatic fever. Dr. Cooley performed the transplant…
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Dr. Michael DeBakey of Houston was a legendary cardiovascular surgeon, educator, scientist, and international medical statesman. He is remembered today for his pioneering work in surgical techniques for treatment of heart defects and diseases. Dr. DeBakey’s professional expertise influenced U.S….
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What Houstonians know today as Memorial Park was once the site of an historic World War I military facility. Camp Logan was one of 16 military camps used for emergency training centers when the U.S. entered the war. The camp…
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Many Houstonians remember the catchphrase, “Sliiiime in the ice machine!” used by flamboyant television personality Marvin Zindler. Wearing his signature white wig and blue-tinted shades, his Rat and Roach Report was broadcast during the 6 and 10 p.m. Friday newscasts…
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Texas won its independence from Mexico on April 21, 1836, at the Battle of San Jacinto. Sam Houston’s Texan Army defeated Santa Anna’s Mexican Army in only 18 minutes. In the battle, 639 Mexicans and nine Texans were killed. But,…
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Beneath our low-lying city, Houston has a huge cavern built in 1926 used as a 15-million-gallon water reservoir. It supported the city’s municipal water system’s fire suppression (water pressure) and drinking water storage. In 2007, after decades of operation, the…
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One thing Houston is known for is the Texas Medical Center. Ben Taub Hospital, located in the center, is an elite Level 1 trauma center owned and operated by the Harris Health System. The staff includes faculty, residents, and students…
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