CARTWRIGHT, Grace W. (b. 1908) | Oral History

CARTWRIGHT, Grace W. (b. 1908)

Oral Histories

Farmer-rancher, community activist. Early life in rural Texas; student days at North Texas State Teachers College, 1925-29; position with Parker county Extension Service, 1929-31; marriage to Bickham Cartwright, 1931; development of farm and ranch properties during Great Depression; thoughts and philosophy on land conservation; development of Tin Top, 1949; thoughts on erasing the “littleness of the rural spirit”; awards from Ford and Rockefeller Foundations; appointment to Texas Tourist Board by Governor John Connally; activities concerning Texas roads beautification; appointment to Board of Regents, North Texas State College, 1949, by Governor Beauford Jester; her work as chair of board’s grounds committee; comments about members of the Board of Regents and Presidents W. J. Mcconnell and J. C. Matthews; desegregation of the college; her role in the interior decoration of the president’s house; appointment by president Harry S. Truman as delegate to White House Conference on Youth and Children, 1950; her role in formation of Brazos valley Association, 1957; appointment by Governor Price Daniel to Texas Water Quality Board; Sears Foundation award for Environmental Improvement, 1973; her role in the creation of a parks system for Weatherford, Texas, 1970s; election as vice-president of beautify Texas Council, 1978; Lady Bird Johnson Award, 1984, for conservation work; her management of farm-ranch properties after her husband’s incapacitating illness, 1953; establishment of student scholarships at the University of North Texas.
Date of Interview: November 15, 1989

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