Debra L. Winegarten - Oveta Culp Hobby. Colonel, Cabinet Member, Philanthropist

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR:

Strong Family Ties: The Tiny Hawkins Story

(with Ruthe Winegarten)

Katherine Stinson: The Flying Schoolgirl

Mums the Word: A Tribute to Ruthe Winegarten

Theres Jews in Texas?

BOOK THIRTY-FOUR

Louann Atkins Temple Women & Culture Series

Books about women and families, and their changing role in society

Oveta Culp Hobby

Colonel, Cabinet Member, Philanthropist

BY DEBRA L. WINEGARTEN

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS,
AUSTIN

The Louann Atkins Temple Women & Culture Series is supported by Allison, Doug, Taylor, and Andy Bacon; Margaret, Lawrence, Will, John, and Annie Temple; Larry Temple; the Temple-Inland Foundation; and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Copyright 2014 by Debra L. Winegarten

All rights reserved

First edition, 2014

Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to:

Permissions

University of Texas Press

P.O. Box 7819

Austin, TX 78713-7819

http://utpress.utexas.edu/index.php/rp-form

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Winegarten, Debra L.

Oveta Culp Hobby : colonel, cabinet member, philanthropist / by Debra L. Winegarten.

pages cm(Louann Atkins Temple women & culture series)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-292-72268-2 (pbk.) : alk. paper)

1. Hobby, Oveta Culp, 19051995. 2. United States. Department of Health, Education, and WelfareBiography. 3. Cabinet officersUnited StatesBiography. 4. United States. Army. Womens Army CorpsOfficersBiography. 5. United States. War Department. Bureau of Public Relations. Womens Interest SectionBiography. 6. World War, 19391945Participation, Female. 7. World War, 19391945WomenUnited States. 8. BusinesswomenUnited StatesBiography. 9. LegislatorsTexasBiography. 10. Newspaper editorsUnited StatesBiography. I. Title.

E840.8.C46W45 2014

352.2'93092dc23

[B]

2013042478

ISBN: 978-0-292-75811-7 (library e-book)
ISBN: 978-0-292-75810-0 (individual e-book)

To my parents,

Ruthe Lewin Winegarten and Alvin Winegarten,

who encouraged me to live my dreams.

Contents

Introduction

Writing a biography, the story of another persons life, is a tricky undertaking. People are busy living their lives and few take the time to chronicle them as they go. Oveta Culp Hobby worked in the newspaper business a long time. She spent much of her life telling other peoples stories, not her own.

I used a variety of sources to compile this account of Ovetas life. I interviewed her son and two of her granddaughters. I read several books that contained information about her, which you can find listed in the bibliography. I read many newspaper articles written about her, especially during her time as director of the Womens Army Corps and secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. I consulted her archives, which are collections of her papers, located both at the Woodson Research Center Special Collections Archives at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and the Oveta Culp Hobby Memorial Library at Central Texas College in Killeen, Texas. I also read academic papers and dissertations written about her.

There are many people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude for believing in me and in this project. First is Theresa May, editor-in-chief at the University of Texas Press. Not only did she love this project from the first time I shared it with her, she stood by me as life bounced me around a bit and reminded me to always follow my passions and ideals. My mother, Ruthe Winegarten, instilled in me the love of good storytelling. While most people my age talk of falling asleep at night to the sound of their mothers sewing machines, my comforting nighttime sound was the rhythmic music of my mothers bright blue IBM Selectric typewriter, which lulled me to sleep as she wrote her books on Texas womens history.

My father, Al Winegarten, always listens to my ideas and still sends me extra money so I can pay for all the little hidden necessities a book like this requires, like photo permissions, so the gorgeous pictures here can bring Ovetas story to life. To my heart partner, Cindy Huyser, who picks up the household duties when Im immersed in finishing a project, I am always and forever thankful for your support. And to my brother, Marc Sanders, who reminds me not to take myself too seriously and to cherish all the little things in life.

A good writer has good writer friends to read manuscripts and give honest feedback, and I certainly have my share of good writer friends. Nancy Baker Jones and Robert Pando provided much-needed critical reviews that helped keep my errors to a minimum. To the Hobby familyBill, Diana, Laura Hobby Beckworth, and Heather Catto KohoutI am indebted for sharing your personal memories of Oveta. To the marvelous women in my Wednesdivas critique groupMarty McAllister, Mary Day Long, P. J. Pierce, and Jeanne Guyyou will always hold a special place in my heart for your diligence and love. To Kimberly Cockrill, who sat with me for endless hours and helped me finish the book, you are my hero.

I have tried to put together as accurate a story as possible about this remarkable woman, and Im sure Ive made mistakes along the way. Ive done my best to paint an honest picture of Oveta, to show her sincerity and love of her country, her dedication to making the world a better place, her humor, and her humanity. If this story inspires just one person to take a risk and try to do something they didnt think themselves capable of, I will consider my job to have been done well. I hope you, dear reader, are that person.

Debra L. Winegarten

AUSTIN, TEXAS

CHAPTER ONE

Growing up in Killeen, Texas

Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby, director of the Womens Army Corps, circa 1945. Courtesy Culver Pictures Inc.

Oh, its the easiest thing in the world.

All you have to do is just be equal.

OVETA CULP HOBBY, 1978

Lynn Culp opened her front door and reached out to hug her older sister who was visiting from Washington, D.C. She took one look at her sister and stepped back, aghast. Her big sister was wearing a uniforma military uniform!

Oveta, Lynn said, looking her over with excitement, what are you?

Im a colonel! Oveta answered.

In 1943, women did not hold such ranks in the Army. In fact, before the start of World War II, women didnt even serve in the military, except as nurses. But Oveta Culp Hobby had just become the first woman in the United States ever to be appointed a colonel. She was the director of the first womens military organization, called the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps, or WAAC, for short. There was a scarcity of manpower in the United States Army, even though most young men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-five had been drafted or required to sign up for military duty. So many of the men were needed as soldiers on the battlefields that there werent enough people to fill the noncombat jobs. Congress passed a bill authorizing women to join the military, and Oveta was tapped to lead that effort.

Lynn began to weep when she realized what an important role Oveta had been given.

Dont cry, Oveta said, comforting her little sister. Im going to be the best colonel youve ever seen!