A Guide to the Max Starcke Papers, 1934-1963

Biographical Note

Born in York’s Creek (now Zorn), Texas, Maxmilliam Hugo Starcke (1884-1972) was the son of Hugo Starcke and Ida Eberhard and the grandson of German immigrants. After attending the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A & M University) and a business college in San Antonio, Starcke worked as a clerk and secretary in the law offices of Senator Joseph B. Dibrell. From 1909 through 1912, he served as alderman in Seguin and also worked as an officer in the Seguin State Bank and Trust from 1917 through 1938. Additionally, Starcke was appointed mayor of Seguin from 1928 through 1938, during which time he constructed the city’s first hydroelectric power and water filtration plants, and he served as the Lower Colorado River Authority’s (LCRA) first operations manager from 1938 through 1955. Following his promotion to general manager of the LCRA, he built two dams and hydroelectric plants on the Colorado River, servicing a 41,000 square-mile area. Starcke retired in 1955, though he continued consulting for the LCRA until 1965. He was a member on the boards and committees of a number of organizations, such as St. David’s Hospital in Austin, Texas, and the South Texas Chamber of Commerce.

Source:

Woodruff, David. "Starcke, Maxmillian Hugo."Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed April 11, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fstcm.

Scope and Contents

Comprised of correspondence, newspaper clippings, printed material, certificates, plaques, and photographs, the Max Starcke Papers, 1934-1963, document Starcke’s career as mayor of Seguin and as operations and general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority. Correspondence during his tenure as mayor concerns administrative and civic issues pertaining to the city of Seguin, while letters relating to the LCRA discuss the construction of dams and hydroelectric plants, among other topics. Newspaper clippings include articles on the LCRA, Starcke, and dams throughout Texas, while printed material consists of such newsletters as the LCRA News and the Lower Colorado River Review. Additionally, the collection contains certificates and plaques commemorating Starcke’s leadership and efforts in water resource development and conservation, and photographs depicting Starcke, the board of directors of the LCRA, St. David’s Hospital in Austin at the time of its construction, and presidents of the South Texas Chamber of Commerce.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Max Starcke Papers, 1934-1963, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s "History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light" project, 2009-2011.

Detailed Description of the Papers