Edison E. Oberholtzer
Encyclopedia
Edison Ellsworth Oberholtzer (6 May 1880 – 18 June 1954) was the founder and first president of the University of Houston
. Oberholtzer obtained his undergraduate education at Westfield College in Westfield, Illinois
and Indiana State Normal School
(now known as Indiana State University). In 1915, he received his Master of Arts
degree from the University of Chicago
. Prior to founding the University of Houston, Oberholtzer was a teacher and administrator for schools in Indiana
before eventually becoming a superintendent
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
and then Houston, Texas
.
to Augustus and Mary Anne Oberholtzer née Collins. He was the eleventh of their 12 children. He graduated from Clay City High School in Clay City, Indiana
in 1895. Edison married Myrtle May Barr on March 26, 1901, and eventually had three children, Kenneth, Esther and Edison, Jr.
In March 1925, his niece Madge Oberholtzer
-- daughter of his older brother George—was kidnapped, tortured and raped by D.C. Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan. Her deathbed statement was sufficient to convict Stephenson of second degree murder in one of the most sensational cases in American history.
from 1898 through 1903. From 1906 through 1911, Oberholtzer was a supervising principal in Terre Haute, Indiana
, and superintendent
of schools in Clinton, Indiana
. In 1913, he became a superintendent in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, and served in that post until 1923 when he left to become superintendent of the Houston Independent School District
in Houston, Texas
. Oberholtzer served as superintendent for H.I.S.D. from April 7, 1924 until 1945.
, Houston Junior College. He served as president of the university until 1950, when he retired. During his tenure, Oberholtzer enlisted the help of philanthropist Hugh Roy Cullen
as a large donor and supporter to the university.
.
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
. Oberholtzer obtained his undergraduate education at Westfield College in Westfield, Illinois
Westfield, Illinois
Westfield is a town in Clark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 678 at the 2000 census. Reflecting the city's economic decline, much of the downtown area consists of boarded-up and abandoned buildings.-Geography:...
and Indiana State Normal School
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
(now known as Indiana State University). In 1915, he received his Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. Prior to founding the University of Houston, Oberholtzer was a teacher and administrator for schools in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
before eventually becoming a superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
and then Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
Early life
Edison Oberholtzer was born 6 May 1880 in Patricksburg, IndianaPatricksburg, Indiana
Patricksburg is an unincorporated community in eastern Marion Township, Owen County, Indiana, United States. It lies along State Road 246 west of the city of Spencer, the county seat of Owen County. Its elevation is 715 feet , and it is located at...
to Augustus and Mary Anne Oberholtzer née Collins. He was the eleventh of their 12 children. He graduated from Clay City High School in Clay City, Indiana
Clay City, Indiana
Clay City is a town in Harrison Township, Clay County, Indiana, United States. The population was 861 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in 1895. Edison married Myrtle May Barr on March 26, 1901, and eventually had three children, Kenneth, Esther and Edison, Jr.
In March 1925, his niece Madge Oberholtzer
Madge Oberholtzer
Madge Augustine Oberholtzer was an American schoolteacher who worked and lived in Indianapolis. Kidnapped and raped by D.C. Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan, she died of a staph infection from wounds inflicted upon her by Stephenson...
-- daughter of his older brother George—was kidnapped, tortured and raped by D.C. Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan. Her deathbed statement was sufficient to convict Stephenson of second degree murder in one of the most sensational cases in American history.
Career
Oberholtzer began his career in education as a teacher and administrator for small schools in IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
from 1898 through 1903. From 1906 through 1911, Oberholtzer was a supervising principal in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, and superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of schools in Clinton, Indiana
Clinton, Indiana
Clinton is a city in Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,893 at the 2010 census. The city was established in 1829 and is named after DeWitt Clinton, who served as governor of New York from 1817 to 1823. Many of Clinton's original settlers were immigrants working in coal...
. In 1913, he became a superintendent in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, and served in that post until 1923 when he left to become superintendent of the Houston Independent School District
Houston Independent School District
The Houston Independent School District is the largest public school system in Texas and the seventh-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and insular municipalities...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Oberholtzer served as superintendent for H.I.S.D. from April 7, 1924 until 1945.
University of Houston
In 1927, Edison Oberholtzer founded the pre-cursor to the University of HoustonUniversity of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
, Houston Junior College. He served as president of the university until 1950, when he retired. During his tenure, Oberholtzer enlisted the help of philanthropist Hugh Roy Cullen
Hugh Roy Cullen
Hugh Roy Cullen was an American industrialist and philanthropist. Cullen was heavily involved in the petroleum industry, was a large supporter of the University of Houston, and longtime chairman of the board of regents for the university...
as a large donor and supporter to the university.
Death
Oberholtzer died in Houston on June 18, 1954, and was buried in Forest Park Abbey Mausoleum in Houston, Texas. His widow passed away on December 24, 1959 in San Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
.