Oveta (Culp) Hobby (1905 - 1995)

Born 19 Jan 1905 in Killeen, Bell, Texas, United States of America

Ancestors

Wife of William Pettus Hobby — married 1931 (to 7 Jun 1964) in Houston, Texas, United States of America

Died 16 Aug 1995 at age 90 in Houston, Harris, Texas, United States of America

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Oveta (Culp) Hobby is Notable.

Oveta (Culp) Hobby was a Texan.

Biography

Oveta Culp was born January 19, 1905 in Killeen, Texas to Isaac William Culp and Emma Elizabeth Hoover. ^[1]

In 1931 she married William P. Hobby, the former Governor of Texas who was the publisher of the Houston Post, and took a position as research editor at the Post. They had two children together: Lt. Gov. William Pettus Hobby Jr. and Jessica (Hobby) Catto.

By the time she was 37 years old in 1942, Mrs Oveta Culp Hobby had served for several years as parliamentarian of the Texas legislature, and as newspaper and radio executive, publisher, lawyer, writer, president of the Texas League of Women Voters, and civic worker in numerous state and city organizations.

During World War II Oveta headed the War Department's Women's Interest Section for a short time and then became the Director of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (later the Women's Army Corps), which was created to fill gaps left by a shortage of men. (She served from 16 May 1942- 11 Jul 1945).

Hobby achieved the rank of colonel on 5 July 1943, and in Jan 1945, received the Distinguished Service Medal for efforts during the war. She was the first woman in the Army to receive this award. ^[2] She served from 16 May 1942- 11 Jul 1945,

On April 11, 1953, Oveta Hobby became the first secretary, and first female secretary, of the new Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which later became the Department of Health and Human Services.

She resigned her post in 1955 to return to Houston to care for her ailing husband. Hobby resumed her position with the Houston Post as president and editor.

She died of a stroke in 1995, in Houston, and was buried at Glenwood Cemetery.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. Name Oveta Culp Hobby; Father Isaac Culp, Mother Emma E Hoover. Birth 19 Jan 1905 - Killeen, Texas
2. ↑ Wikipedia: Oveta Culp Hobby
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 17 March 2021), memorial page for Oveta Culp Hobby (19 Jan 1905–16 Aug 1995), Find A Grave: Memorial #19366, citing Glenwood Cemetery, Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .

See Also:

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M295-SYJ : accessed 2 March 2017), Oveta Culp in household of Isaac W Culp, Killeen, Bell, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 26, sheet 2B, family 18, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1530; FHL microfilm 1,375,543.
• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MH1C-Z5C : accessed 2 March 2017), Oveta Culp in household of I W Culp, Temple Ward 1, Bell, Texas, United States; citing ED 20, sheet 3A, line 10, family 50, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1776; FHL microfilm 1,821,776.
• 1940 United States Federal Census Census & Voter Lists Name Oveta C Hobby Spouse William P Hobby Birth 1905 - Texas, Residence Houston, Harris, Texas - Age: 34
• U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 for Oveta C Hobby, Birth: 1906, Military 15 May 1942 - Washington, District of Columbia
• U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 Directories & Member Lists Name Oveta C Hobby Spouse William P Hobby. Residence 1948 - Houston, Texas, USA
• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 Birth, Marriage & Death Name Oveta Culp Hobby Father Isaac Culp, Mother Emma A Hoover Birth 19 Jan 1905 - Killeen, Texas Death 16 Aug 1995 Civil 4 Apr 1970 SSN 461078070 Gender Female Race White
• U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 Birth, Marriage & Death Name Oveta C. Hobby Birth 19 Jan 1905 Death 16 Aug 1995 - Houston, Harris, Texas, USA Civil Texas
• "The Women's Army Corps 1945 to 1978" by Colonel Bettie J. Morden covers Colonel Oveta C Hobby's time as the 1st Director of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) and Womens Army Corps (WAC). http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/030/30-14-1/cmhPub_30-14.pdf
• National Women's Hall of Fame: Discover the Women of the Hall: Oveta Culp Hobby
• Wikitree: Army Auxillary Corps
• KUT 90.5: For Trailblazing Texan Oveta Culp Hobby, a Long Overdue Biography
• HumanitiesTexas.org: Programs: Oveta Culp Hobby & Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Texas Originals: Oveta Culp Hobby