Richard Henry Fonville (April 30, 1882 – December 13, 1954) was an American politician and pharmacist who served as the 46th Mayor of Houston from 1937 to 1939.[1]
Richard H. Fonville | |
|---|---|
| 46th Mayor of Houston | |
| In office January 2, 1937 – January 2, 1939 | |
| Preceded by | Oscar F. Holcombe |
| Succeeded by | Oscar F. Holcombe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 30, 1882 Texas, U.S. |
| Died | December 13, 1954 (aged 72) Eagle Lake, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Clara McCormick (m. 1926) |
Mayoralty
editFonville defeated incumbent Oscar F. Holcombe and took office in 1937.[2] During his term as mayor, the City of Houston Fire Station No. 11 was built. Today, it is the only historic Art Deco-style fire station remaining in Houston and one of the last remaining examples of civic architecture in Houston dating from the early 20th century.[2] In 1938, Fonville announced a roundup of the prostitutes in Houston at the old Jefferson Davis Hospital, the purpose of this act was to check for venereal diseases.[3] On July 30, 1938, he renamed the Houston Municipal Airport as the "Howard Hughes Airport" as part of the welcoming ceremony at the Houston Hughes homecoming.[4]
Personal life
editFonville married Clara McCormick in 1926.[5] He died at his Eagle Lake hunting lodge of a heart ailment on December 13, 1954.[6] In 1960, Fonville Middle School in Houston was posthumously named after him.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "School Information / History of Fonville Middle School". Fonville Middle School. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ a b "Protected Landmark Designation Report" (PDF). Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ Gonzales, G.R. (September 30, 2015). "Downtown as it looked from above in 1938". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ "Houston's mayors: A complete timeline from 1837 to now". Houston Chronicle. November 3, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ "Clara M. Fonville". The Galveston Daily News. December 6, 1994. p. 4.
- ^ "Ex-mayor expires". Corsicana Daily Sun. December 13, 1954. p. 11.