urn:taro:tslac.40029 Texas Governor William Pettus Hobby: An Inventory of Records at the Texas State Archives, 1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920) Finding aid by Tonia J. Wood, January 1996 This EAD finding aid was created in part with funds provided by the Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board for the Texas Archival Resources Online project. Texas State Library and Archives Commission Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, January 2001. Finding aid written inEnglish. July 22, 2003. Finding aid converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by TARO using the conversion stylesheet v1to02.xsl, April 2001. Corrections and further encoding to TARO project standards by Tonia J. Wood, Overview Texas State Archives Texas. Governor (1917-1921 : Hobby) Records 1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920) Types of records are correspondence, letterpress books, clippings, proclamations, petitions, and financial records dating from 1915 to 1920 (bulk 1917-1920). Documents are records of William Pettus Hobby's terms as governor and lieutenant governor of Texas. 9.28 cubic ft. English. Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Technical Requirements

None.

Biographical Sketch

William Pettus Hobby served as governor of Texas from August 25, 1917 to January 18, 1921. Hobby was born on March 26, 1878 at Moscow, Polk County, Texas. In 1892 his family moved to Houston. Later, Hobby quit high school to take a job with the circulation department of the Houston Post, and eventually was promoted to managing editor. In 1904 Hobby helped organize the Young Men's Democratic Club, and was its first president. He attended the 1904 Democratic state convention as chairman of the delegation for the Sixteenth Congressional District, and later became secretary of the State Democratic Executive Committee. In 1907 Hobby moved to Beaumont to become editor and proprietor of the Beaumont Enterprise. He was selected president of the Chamber of Commerce in February 1912.

Hobby was elected lieutenant governor in 1914 and re-elected in 1916. He became acting governor on August 25, 1917 and governor on September 25, 1917, when James Ferguson resigned. While filling Ferguson's term, Hobby agreed to the proposal allowing women to vote during the primary, and supported legislation banning alcohol sales within ten miles of military installations. Hobby was elected governor in 1918, and supported a generous appropriation for education, state assistance in obtaining home loans, and tax levies on oil and gas products. The Eighteenth Amendment regarding prohibition was passed by the legislature and approved by the voters while Hobby was in office. He married Willie Cooper of Beaumont on May 15, 1915 at New Orleans; she died in 1929. Hobby married Oveta Culp on February 23, 1931. Two children were born to this marriage: William Pettus Hobby, Jr., who was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1972, and Jesse Oveta. Hobby died on June 7, 1964 in Houston.

Scope and Contents of the Records

Types of records are correspondence, letterpress books, clippings, proclamations, petitions, and financial records dating from 1915 to 1920 (bulk 1917-1920). Documents are records of William Pettus Hobby's terms as governor and lieutenant governor of Texas. Correspondence includes requests and recommendations for appointment to office, and requests for pardons, paroles, extraditions, and furloughs. Subjects of letters and telegrams include the attempt to eradicate the pink boll worm, the organization of the National Guard, drought relief and relief after the September 1919 coastal storm that hit Corpus Christi and surrounding areas, and problems at the port of Galveston. Other correspondence covers relations with Mexico, campaigns for lieutenant governor and governor, prohibition, women's suffrage, World War I, and legislation during the 34th through 36th Legislatures.

Organization of the Records

These records are organized into two series:

Correspondence and financial records, 1915-1920, 1.18 cubic ft. Letterpress books, 1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920), 8 cubic ft. Index Terms

The terms listed here were used to catalog the records. The terms can be used to find similar or related records.

Personal Names: Hobby, William Pettus, 1878-1964. Corporate Names: Texas. Office of the Governor. Texas. National Guard--History. Subjects: Governors--Texas. Lieutenant governors--Texas. Pardon--Texas. Cotton--Diseases and pests--Texas. Disaster relief--Texas. Places: Texas--Politics and government--1865-1950. Texas--Officials and employees--Selection and appointment. Texas--Relations--Mexico. Document Types: Correspondence--Texas--Governors--1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920). Letterpress copybooks--Texas--Governors--1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920). Clippings--Texas--Governors--1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920). Financial records--Texas--Governors--1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920). Petitions--Texas--Governors--1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920). Proclamations--Texas--Governors--1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920). Functions: Appointing. Pardoning. Related Material

The following materials are offered as possible sources of further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the records. The listing is not exhaustive.

Texas State Archives

Texas Secretary of State, Executive clemency records, 1840, 1845-2002, 103.62 cubic ft., 168 reels of microfilm (originals), 22 reels of microfilm (duplicates)

Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin

William P. Hobby, Sr., Family Papers, 1914-1997, 7 ft.

University of North Texas Archives, Denton, Texas

Oral History Collection, 1,100+ bound volumes of interview transcripts. [Transcripts from The Texas Political History Project concerning Hobby include an interview of H. Grady Perry.] Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Records, Texas Governor William Pettus Hobby. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Processing Information

October 1985

Tonia J. Wood, January 1996

Accession Information

Accession number: 1936/002

The letterpress books were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Governor's Office on October 8, 1936. There is no accession data for the remainder of the records.

Detailed Description of the Records Correspondence and financial records, 1915-1920 (bulk 1915), 1.18 cubic ft.

Types of records are correspondence, petitions, proclamations, clippings, accounts and receipts, dating from 1915 to 1920 (bulk 1915). Most of the correspondence pertains to Hobby's position as lieutenant governor, and deals primarily with appointments, letters of congratulation, legislation, and pardons. The accounts and receipts are personal records for the governor and his wife, mainly for the years 1919-1920.

Arrangement

Records are grouped by type of material. Correspondence is divided between outgoing and incoming letters, which are then in chronological order. Clippings are arranged chronologically. The accounts and receipts are arranged alphabetically.

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Correspondence and financial records, Records, Texas Governor William Pettus Hobby. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

No accession information for these records was located.

301-383 1. Correspondence [outgoing], January 13 - 15, 1915 301-383 2. Correspondence [outgoing], January 16 - 22, 1915 301-383 3. Correspondence [outgoing], January 23 - 25, 1915 301-383 4. Correspondence [outgoing], January 26 - February 4, 1915 301-383 5. Correspondence [outgoing], February 5 - 11, 1915 301-383 6. Correspondence [outgoing], February 12 - 19, 1915 301-383 7. Correspondence [outgoing], February 20 - 25, 1915 301-383 8. Correspondence [outgoing], March 1 - 12, 1915 301-383 9. Correspondence [outgoing], March 13 - 22, 1915 301-383 10. Correspondence [outgoing], April 29 - May 10, 1915 301-383 11. Correspondence [outgoing], May 11 - 26, 1915 301-383 12. Correspondence [outgoing], June 1, 1915 - June 30, 1917 301-384 1. Correspondence [incoming], 1913-1914, January 5 - 11, 1915 301-384 2. Correspondence [incoming], January 12 - 16, 1915 301-384 3. Correspondence [incoming], January 17 - 21, 1915 301-384 4. Correspondence [incoming], January 22 - 25, 1915 301-384 5. Correspondence [incoming], January 26 - 28, 1915 301-384 6. Correspondence [incoming], January 28 - February 2, 1915 301-384 7. Correspondence [incoming], February 3 - 10, 1915 301-384 8. Correspondence [incoming], February 11 - 16, 1915 301-384 9. Correspondence [incoming], February 17 - 22, 1915 301-384 10. Correspondence [incoming], February 23 - 27, 1915 301-384 11. Correspondence [incoming], February 28 - March 3, 1915 301-384 12. Correspondence [incoming], March 4 - 8, 1915 301-384 13. Correspondence [incoming], March 9 - 11, 1915 301-384 14. Correspondence [incoming], March 12 - 16, 1915 301-384 15. Correspondence [incoming], March 17 - 22, April - May, 1915 301-384 16. Correspondence [incoming], August 1917; April, September 1918; June 1919; January, March 1920 301-384 17. Correspondence [incoming], April - June, August - September 1920 301-384 18. Correspondence [incoming], undated 301-384 19. Newspaper clippings, January 10 - 13, 1915, August 8, 1919 301-385 Accounts & Receipts: 301-385 1. A 301-385 2. B 301-385 3. C (Cashan Grotto No. 86 - Central National Bank of St. Louis) 301-385 4. C (Citizens Auto Co. - Jasper Collins) 301-385 5. C (Columbian Refining Co.) 301-385 6. C (Condit-Franklin Co. - Crosby House) 301-385 7. D 301-385 8. E 301-385 9. F 301-385 10. G (L.B. Gann - Grant Bros.) 301-385 11. G (Great Southern Life Insurance Co. - Gunter Hotel) 301-385 12. H 301-385 13. I-K 301-385 14. L 301-385 15. M 301-385 16. N-O 301-385 17. P 301-385 18. R 301-385 19. S (Sanger Bros. - Security National Bank) 301-385 20. S (S. Silverman - Smith & Wilcox) 301-385 21. S (The Smokery - J.J. Sweeny Jewelry Co.) 301-385 22. T 301-385 23. U-V 301-385 24. W (Waco State Bank - Western Union Telegraph Company) 301-385 25. W (T.H. Williams - W.T. Wroe & Son) 301-385 26. Y Letterpress books, 1915-1920 (bulk 1917-1920), 8 cubic ft.

Records are letterpress books, dating from 1915 to 1920 (bulk 1917-1920). Outgoing correspondence in these books pertains to William P. Hobby's position as governor of Texas. Personal correspondence, telegrams, campaign letters, and messages to the legislature are also included. Subjects include the cotton market, eradication of the pink boll worm, drought relief, the September 1919 storm, and legislation. Letters and telegrams on a number of pages are smudged, faded, and illegible. The letterpress book dated December 10, 1920 to March 8, 1922 also contains correspondence for Governor Neff. The letterpress book of telegrams dated December 8, 1920 to September 12, 1921 is filed with Governor Neff's records.

Arrangement

Books are arranged in chronological order, except for the volumes relating to campaigns, telegrams, messages, and personal correspondence, which are located at the end.

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Letterpress books, Records, Texas Governor William Pettus Hobby. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession number: 1936/002

The letterpress books were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Governor's Office on October 8, 1936.

301-386 Unnumbered volume, August 29 - September 29, 1917 301-386 Volume 1, October 1 - 16, 1917 301-386 Volume 2, October 16 - 31, 1917 301-386 Volume 3, October 31 - November 21, 1917 301-386 Volume 4, November 20 - December 7, 1917 301-386 Volume 5, December 6 - 20, 1917 301-386 Volume 6, December 22, 1917 - January 5, 1918 301-386 Volume 7, January 5 - 14, 1918 301-386 Volume 8, January 14 - 25, 1918 301-387 Volume 9, January 19 - 29, 1918 301-387 Volume 10, January 29 - February 7, 1918 301-387 Volume 11, February 7 - 14, 1918 301-387 Volume 12, February 14 - 20, 1918 301-387 Volume 13, February 20 - March 2, 1918 301-387 Volume 14, March 1 - 8, 1918 301-387 Volume 15, March 9 - 21, 1918 301-387 Volume 16, March 22 - 30, 1918 301-387 Volume 16, March 30 - April 6, 1918 301-388 Volume 17, April 5 - 15, 1918 301-388 Volume 18, April 15 - 22, 1918 301-388 Volume 19, April 22 - 30, 1918 301-388 Volume 20, April 30 - May 4, 1918 301-388 Volume 21, May 6 - 13, 1918 301-388 Unnumbered volumes, May 15 - July 9, 1918 [4] 301-389 Unnumbered volumes, July 9 - November 15, 1918 [7] 301-390 Unnumbered volumes, November 13, 1918 - July 3, 1919 [10] 301-391 Unnumbered volumes, July 3, 1919 - July 8, 1920 [9] 301-392 Unnumbered volumes, July 10 - December 9, 1920 [2] 301-538 Unnumbered volume, December 10, 1920 - March 8, 1922 [1] 301-392 Campaign, January 10 - May 10, 1918 [1] 301-392 Telegrams, October 2, 1917 - December 8, 1920 [5] 301-395 Telegrams, December 8, 1920 - September 12, 1921 301-393 Personal, October 17, 1917 - May 5, 1919 [2] 301-393 October 10, 1917 - January 19, 1919 301-393 Messages, January 22, 1915 - March 26, 1918, 1919, 1920 [3]