Feb. 26, 2021 (updated March 10)
The Briscoe Center is proud to announce the publication of The Governor and the Colonel – A Dual Biography of William P. Hobby and Oveta Culp Hobby. Written by Don Carleton, the center’s executive director, the book chronicles the lives of Will and Oveta Hobby; their impact on local, state, and national events; and how their marriage and media empire helped shape twentieth-century journalistic and political history.
To celebrate the release, a virtual book event was held March 9, 2021, from 5:00 to 5:45 p.m. (CST). The event was co-sponsored by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs and Center for Public History. Carleton was interviewed by Hobby School Dean Kirk Watson, with a Q&A to follow.
UPDATE: The event is now available to watch on YouTube.
The event discussion tackled the couple’s impact on local, state, and national events; and how their marriage and media empire helped shape twentieth-century journalistic and political history. The event is part of the Hobby School’s Women’s History Month activities to highlight gender diversity in public service.
To learn more, visit the Hobby School’s event page.
About the book:
William P. “Will” Hobby Sr. and Oveta Culp Hobby were one of the most influential couples in Texas history. Both were major public figures, with Will serving as governor of Texas and Oveta as the first commander of the Women’s Army Corps and later as the second woman to serve on a presidential cabinet. Together, they built a pioneering media empire centered on the Houston Post and their broadcast properties, and they played a significant role in the transformation of Houston into the fourth largest city in the United States.
This deeply researched book not only details this historically significant partnership but also explores the close relationships between the Hobbys and key figures in twentieth-century history, from Texas legends, such as LBJ, Sam Rayburn, and Jesse Jones, to national icons, including the Roosevelts, President Eisenhower, and the Rockefellers. Carleton’s chronicle reveals the undeniable impact of the Hobbys on journalistic and political history in the United States.
The Governor and the Colonel was published by the University of Texas Press.
