The Texas State Historical Association and the Houston History Alliance (HHA) are proud to announce the launch of the Handbook of Houston, which contains more than 1,250 new and existing entries highlighting the significant impact Houston has had on the state, the nation, and the world. Launched on March 2, 2017, the Handbook of Houston is the culmination of many years of historical research.

Talk of an encyclopedic-style collection of Houston’s history began in earnest in 2008, when professional and avocational historians started meeting regularly to discuss the idea. A partnership between the TSHA and HHA in 2015 made the project a reality, thanks to the generous underwriting of Houston Endowment.

Lindsay Scovil Dove of the Houston History Alliance has directed the project since 2015, and TSHA and HHA look forward to continuing to add to this scholarship and further grow the Handbook of Houston. Following the time-honored tradition of the Handbook of Texas, we are thrilled to make the stories of Houston’s history easily available through the TSHA website. Our hope is that we will both enhance the knowledge of Houston enthusiasts and introduce new generations to our great city and its historic past.

The new entries added to the Handbook of Houston represent Houston’s diverse culture and highlight topics such as historic events and landmarks, businesses and organizations, and biographies on community activists and leaders, to name a few. These entries were subjected to a rigorous review for inclusion and adhere to the high standards of scholarship evident in the Handbook of Texas. Thanks to these well-written scholarly entries, the general public as well as public school students and university researchers can come to understand the importance of Houston in Texas history.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks go to the following people, without whom this project would not be successful: Houston Endowment; TSHA Chief Historian Randolph “Mike” Campbell; TSHA Chief Executive Officer Brian Bolinger; TSHA Handbook Committee Chair Stephen C. Cook; Managing Editor Brett Derbes; Handbook Research Editor Laurie Jasinski; Handbook Assistant Editor Matt Abigail; TSHA former staff members Ann Smith and Gerardo Garcia; HHA board members and supporters Cecelia Ottenweller, Katy Butterwick, Susan Cowles, Tanya Debose, David Falloure, Abbie Grubb, Debbie Harwell, Thomas McWhorter, Miki Norton, Dianne Powell, Gail Rosenthal, Christy Rubenstein, and Eddie Weller; Houston advisory committee members JR Gonzales, Louis Aulbach, Ron Bass, Joanna Collier, Chris Daigle, Diana DuCroz, James E. Fisher, Sara Frear, Marcia Johnson, and Barbara Humphreys; early project supporters Betty Chapman, Kemo Curry, Ed Emmett, Sarah Jackson, William Kellar, Philip Montgomery, Annise Parker, Michele Reilly, Liz Sargent, The Heritage Society, Mike Vance, Pam Young, and Kimberly Youngblood; and all of the volunteers and authors that have contributed to the Handbook of Houston. Without each and every one of you, the success of this project would be greatly diminished.

The Handbook of Houston was made possible due to generous support from the Houston Endowment, the Houston History Alliance, and the Texas State Historical Association.