Austin (Tex.). City Council. Mark Spaeth Records
An Inventory to the Collection
Overview of the Collection | ||
| Creator: | Spaeth, Mark | |
| Title: | Austin (Tex.). City Council. Mark Spaeth Records | |
| Dates: | 1980-1985 | |
| Bulk Dates: | 1983 | |
| Abstract: | Mark Spaeth served as member of the Austin City Council from 1983-1985. The records are arranged into one series and contain correspondence, creative works, financial and legal records, printed materials, photographs, clippings, and maps from his term in office. | |
| Identification: | AR.2009.060 | |
| Quantity: | .8 linear feet (2 boxes) | |
| Language: | The records are in English. | |
| Repository: | Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, 810 Guadalupe, PO BOX 2287, Austin, TX 78768 | |
Biographical Note
Mark Spaeth was born in Madeira Beach, Florida in 1940. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard in the late 1950s, but had to leave high school to do so. In 1960 he began working in real estate in Miami, and he continued working in real estate when he moved to California in 1961. After living in California for 10 years, he moved to Austin in 1971. Here he owned his own business, Mark E. Spaeth Co., a rental agency.
Spaeth claimed he was ready to leave Austin in the early 1980s, but he changed his mind and decided that he would rather stay and help the city instead. He believed the experience he gained running his own business would benefit the council and ran with the campaign slogan, “A Decision Maker for Austin.” Spaeth promised while in office to include tax breaks for the elderly, improve traffic by building an east-west thoroughfare, control growth, and improve child care options in Austin. Spaeth ran a successful campaign and won Place 4 on the Austin City Council in a run-off against George Humphrey in 1983. Due to an ongoing illness, Spaeth missed many council meetings during his two-year term. His declining health kept him from seeking a second term in office.
Mark Spaeth died at age 45 due to complications from illness on May 27, 1985 at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, Texas.
Scope and Contents
The records are arranged into one series and contain correspondence, creative works, financial and legal records, printed materials, photographs, clippings, and maps from Mark Spaeth's term as an Austin City Council member. The bulk of the files are from his first year in office, 1983. Records pertaining to growth and development projects make up a large portion of the records. Spaeth's personal notes and notations can be found throughout the records.
Arrangement | ||
| The records are arranged into one series, and the folders are arranged alphabetically by topic. | ||
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users.
Index Terms | ||
| This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms. | ||
| Persons: | ||
| Spaeth, Mark. | ||
| Organizations: | ||
| City of Austin. | ||
| Places: | ||
| Austin (Tex.). | ||
| Subjects: | ||
| City planning--Texas--Austin. | ||
| Community development--Texas--Austin. | ||
| Government - Austin - City | ||
Related Material
AF Biography File: Spaeth, Mark |
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Separated Material
City reports and publications were removed to the General Collection. |
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Administrative Information
Custodial History
Records transferred from the Office of City Clerk.
Preferred Citation
Austin (Tex.). City Council. Mark Spaeth Records (AR.2009.060). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas.
Acquisition Information
Donor #: Office of the City Clerk
Donation Date: 2005
Processing Information
Finding Aid and Encoding: Kathryn Garvey/2009 October
Detailed Description of the Collection