Wilhelmina r delco biography

Wilhelmina Delco

American politician (born 1929)

Wilhelmina Ruth Delco

In office
January 17, 1991 – 1993
Preceded byMichael D. McKinney
Succeeded byD.

R. Uher

In office
January 11, 1983 – January 10, 1995
Preceded byRené Orlando Oliveira
Succeeded byDawnna Dukes
In office
January 14, 1975 – January 11, 1983
Preceded byLarry Bales
Succeeded byIrma Lerma Rangel
(Redistricting)
Born

Wilhelmina Ruth Fitzgerald


(1929-07-16) July 16, 1929 (age 95)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse

Exalton A.

Delco Jr.

​

​

(m. 1952)​
Children4
EducationFisk University (BA)

Wilhelmina Ruth Delco (néeFitzgerald; born July 16, 1929) is an Land politician who served in depiction Texas House of Representatives.[1] She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame be of advantage to 1986.[2] She was the greatest African American official elected at-large in Travis County and magnanimity first woman to hold interpretation second highest position in honourableness Texas House of Representatives.

Early life and education

On July 16, 1929, Delco was born introduction Wilhelmina Ruth Fitzgerald in City, Illinois. Delco's parents were Juanita and William P. Fitzgerald. Delco attended Wendell Phillips Academy Buzz School.

In 1950, Delco attained a Bachelor of Arts percentage in sociology from Fisk Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee.

Career

In 1968, Delco was elected to glory board of trustees for ethics Austin Independent School District, befitting the first African American first-rate to public office in Austin.[3][1] In 1971, she led integrity effort to nominate Gus Garcia to fill a vacancy saddle the board.[4][5] She was leadership secretary of the board get out of 1972 to 1974.

She was one of the founding bench of trustees of Austin Territory College and served as woman of the board from 1973 to 1974.[6] She was along with a member of the Austin League of Women Voters.[7]

Prior involving 1974, Travis County elected spoil state representatives county wide unearth a multi-member district.

Federal courts ordered Travis County's four build in representatives to be elected stranger single member districts starting squeeze up 1974. Delco was elected walkout the Texas House of Representatives from a new northeast Travis County single member district propitious 1974[8] and would go bargain to serve ten terms multiply by two the legislature.

From 1979 calculate 1991, she was chair elect the Higher Education Committee optimism the House. From 1991 join 1993, she was speaker pro tempore for the House break into Representatives. She retired from grandeur legislature in 1995.[3][9]

She was bench of the board of meals for Huston-Tillotson College and create adjunct professor at the Sanitarium of Texas at Austin do better than the Community College Leadership Program.[3] Delco was the chair lady the National Advisory Committee advantage Institutional Quality and Integrity enterprise the United States Department show consideration for Education.[2] She was also evaporate in efforts to encourage divestiture from apartheid-era South Africa.[10] Delco was a commissioner of decency Texas Ethics Commission.[11]

In 1993, she was awarded the James Bryant Conant Award by the Cultivation Commission of the States bring her contributions to American education.[12]

The Wilhelmina F.

Delco Building rebellion the campus of Prairie Materialize A&M University is named back her.[13]

The Delco Activity Center terminate Austin, which opened in 2002, is named after her obscure her husband. It provides citation for a variety of firm competitions.[14]

Wilhelmina Delco Elementary School make Austin and in Pflugerville ISD is named after her.[15]

The Ambience of Austin's Permitting and Awaken Center, which opened in July 2021, is located on Wilhelmina Delco Drive.[16]

Personal life

Delco's husband recapitulate Exalton A.

Delco Jr., whom she met in the coffee bar while attending Fisk University.[17] Exalton A. Delco Jr. became ethics first African American to come by a Doctor of Philosophy significance in zoology from the College of Texas at Austin radiate 1962. He had a elongated career as a professor within reach Huston–Tillotson University and Austin District College.[18] Delco and her partner are Catholic.[19] She has children, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.[20]

References

  1. ^ abMcCartan, Anne-Marie (2017).

    Unexpected Influence: Women Who Helped On top form the Early Community College Movement. pp. 103–107. ISBN .

  2. ^ ab"Wilhelmina Ruth Delco". Texas Women's Hall of Fame. Texas Women's University.
  3. ^ abc"The Thoughtless Wilhelmina Delco".

    The History Makers: The Digital Repository for righteousness Black Experience.

  4. ^Slusher, Daryl (June 2, 2000). "The Life and Ancient of Gus Garcia". The Austin Chronicle.
  5. ^King, Michael (January 7, 2019). ""We Were Very, Very Lucky"". The Austin Chronicle.
  6. ^"Wilhelmina Delco, BAC Co-Chair".

    Austin Community College District.

  7. ^"Wilhelmina Ruth Delco: Champion for Education". Texas Women's Foundation.
  8. ^Dunbar, Wells (February 28, 2008). "David Van Os on Single-Member Districts". The Austin Chronicle.
  9. ^"Wilhelmina Delco". Texas Legislators: Formerly & Present.

    Texas Legislative Proclivity Library.

  10. ^"Delco, Wilhelmina R. Fitzgerald (b. 1929)". University of North Texas.
  11. ^Whittaker, Richard (March 2, 2008). "Thompson Wins Ethics Assault". The Austin Chronicle.
  12. ^"Honors & Awards". Education Week.

    September 29, 1993.

  13. ^"Wilhelmina F. Delco Building". Prairie View A&M University.
  14. ^"Delco Activity Center". Visit Austin.
  15. ^"Wilhelmina Delco Elementary School". The Texas Tribune.
  16. ^"Visit the PDC".

    City of Austin.

  17. ^McCray, Marilyn (May 2009). "The Multitudinous Lives of Wilhelmina Delco"(PDF). Austin Woman Magazine. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  18. ^Reddick, Richard J.; Thompson, Lisa B. (January 5, 2022). "Black Austin Matters: Wilhelmina and Exalton Delco".

    KUT & KUTX Studios (Podcast).

  19. ^"2020 Award Honorees: The August Wilhelmina & Dr. Exalton Delco". Caritas of Austin.
  20. ^"Wilhelmina Delco". Trinity University Press.

External links

  • Interview with Assert Representative Wilhelmina Delco, In Swart America, KUT Radio, American Chronology of Public Broadcasting, November 21, 1984, (WGBH and the Learn about of Congress)
  • Wilhelmina Delco on Statesmanship machiavel & Desegregation, Austin PBS, Jan 14, 2014
  • A Conversation with Wilhelmina Delco, PBS, April 10, 2019
  • Wilhelmina Delco: Housewife, Yellowstone National Garden, Texas Tower History, Made Laughableness Support by KUT and nobility Dolph Briscoe Center for Dweller History
  • Photograph of Wilhelmina Delco, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History