Ora Elliott Houston School Board Campaign Scrapbook
An Inventory of the Collection
Overview of the Collection | ||
| Creator: | Houston, Ora Elliott | |
| Title: | Ora Elliott Houston School Board Campaign Scrapbook | |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1982 | |
| Abstract: | Ora Elliott Houston is an active community member of Austin, Texas and spent her career as an advocate for individuals with disabilities living in the community. The scrapbook documents her run for a seat on the Austin School Board in 1982. | |
| Identification: | AR.2000.019 | |
| Quantity: | .2 linear feet (1 box) | |
| Location: | Archives Stacks and Outer Vault | |
| Language: | The records are in English. | |
| Repository: | Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, 810 Guadalupe, PO BOX 2287, Austin, TX 78768 | |
Biographical Note
In 1982 the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees Place 1 member resigned before his term expired. A special election was held in the fall of 1982 and Ora Elliott Houston was the first candidate to file for the seat. After the November 6, 1982 election the field of six candidates for the Place 1 position on the school board was reduced to two, including Houston, requiring a runoff election. Houston had the support State Representative Wilhelmenia Delco, City Council member Charles Urdy, Travis County Commissioner Jimmy Snell and former school board president Gus Garcia. Houston ultimately lost the election to Bernice Hart.
Ora Elliott Houston was born in Austin, Texas, graduated from L. C. Anderson High School (1961) and Huston-Tillotson University. At the time of the election Houston was an administrator with the Texas Department of Mental Health-Mental Retardation (currently named Texas Department of State Health Services). She would go on to retire in 1997 after more than twenty-five years of state service as an advocate for individuals with disabilities living in the community. In addition, she was a member of the Anderson High School PTSA, NAACP, The Links, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; volunteered at the Holy Cross Hospital and with the Special Olympics; and served on the Board of Directors of Saint Andrews School and Family Eldercare.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of a single scrapbook chronicling Houston's campaign for the Place 1 position on the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees (School Board). The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings from September through December of 1982 starting with Houston's announcement that she was entering the race to the final coverage of the runoff election. Also included in the scrapbook was a set of negatives of a church service.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users.
Restrictions on Use
None.
Index Terms | ||
| This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms. | ||
| Persons: | ||
| Houston, Ora Elliott. | ||
| Organizations: | ||
| Austin Independent School District. Board of Trustees. | ||
| Places: | ||
| Austin (Tex.) | ||
| Subjects: | ||
| Elections--Texas--Austin. | ||
| Public schools--Texas--Austin. | ||
Related Material
|
AF Biography - Houston, Ora Elliott. Archives and Manuscripts - AR.2007.017 O.H. And Thelma Elliott Papers |
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Administrative Information
Custodial History
Donated by the creator.
Preferred Citation
Ora Elliott Houston School Board Campaign Scrapbook (AR.2000.019). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas.
Acquisition Information
Donor #: DO/1999/068
Donation Date:2000
Processing Information
Finding aid created and encoded by Molly Hults in 2012.
This collection originally contained two scrapbooks but upon closer inspection it was determined that the Project Enable scrapbook belonged to Ora Houston's mother, Thelma Elliot, and was transferred to AR.2007.017 O.H. and Thelma Elliott Papers.
Because of preservation concerns the scrapbook was preservation photocopied and the copies are included along with the original scrapbook in the collection.
Detailed Description of the Collection