Kathryn J. Whitmire
Encyclopedia
Kathryn Jean "Kathy" Whitmire (born August 15, 1946) was Mayor of the city of Houston, Texas, from 1982 to 1991.
Whitmire was a professor at the University of Maryland, College Park
, where she taught political science
classes in the Burns Leadership Academy. Whitmire was the daughter of Ida Reeves and Karl Niederhofer, a licensed electrician. She was married to James M. (Jim) Whitmire who died in 1976. Whitmire holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and a Master of Accountancy
from the University of Houston
. Additionally, she is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Whitmire was the first female elected to Houston city government. She was first elected as City Controller for two terms and then mayor. She served five continuous two-year terms as mayor, partly during a downturn in the economy. She also served as the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Texas Municipal League. She also served six terms on the Board of Directors of the New York Stock Exchange. She was the first mayor to appoint an African American, Lee P. Brown
, as Houston's police chief. Brown later would also become mayor. Brown was succeeded by the city's first female police chief, Elizabeth Watson
. Whitmire also appointed the first Hispanic
, Sylvia R. Garcia, as presiding judge of the Houston Municipal Court
. Garcia later ran for Houston City Controller and Harris County Commissioner. Whitmire also drafted a major Monorail
mass transit plan that was quickly killed off by Bob Lanier
, her successor.
The Montrose
area of Houston held the core of Whitmire's political support in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the 1991 Mayor of Houston election the sole area where the majority of residents voted for Whitmire was Montrose; she took 40% of the vote in Montrose precincts. Houston's 1985 mayoral election, in which Whitmire won reelection over former mayor Louie Welch
and supporters of the "straight slate" ticket, attracted national attention.
In 2001, Whitmire was featured on VH1
's I Love the 80s program because of her resemblance to Dustin Hoffman
's character "Tootsie
", a comparison that had been made while she was in office.
In 2001, Whitmire moved to Hawaii, where she invests in real estate as of 2008.
Texas State Senator
John Whitmire
is her former brother-in-law.
Whitmire was a professor at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, where she taught political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
classes in the Burns Leadership Academy. Whitmire was the daughter of Ida Reeves and Karl Niederhofer, a licensed electrician. She was married to James M. (Jim) Whitmire who died in 1976. Whitmire holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and a Master of Accountancy
Master of Accountancy
Master of Accountancy , alternatively Master of Professional Accountancy or Master of Science in Accountancy , is a graduate professional degree designed to prepare students for public accounting and to provide them with the 150 credit hours required by most states before taking the...
from the University of Houston
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...
. Additionally, she is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Whitmire was the first female elected to Houston city government. She was first elected as City Controller for two terms and then mayor. She served five continuous two-year terms as mayor, partly during a downturn in the economy. She also served as the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Texas Municipal League. She also served six terms on the Board of Directors of the New York Stock Exchange. She was the first mayor to appoint an African American, Lee P. Brown
Lee P. Brown
Lee Patrick Brown had a long-time career in law enforcement, leading police departments in Atlanta, Houston and New York over the course of nearly four decades. During this time he helped to implement a number of techniques in community policing that appeared to result in substantial decreases in...
, as Houston's police chief. Brown later would also become mayor. Brown was succeeded by the city's first female police chief, Elizabeth Watson
Elizabeth Watson
Elizabeth "Betsy" Watson, was Houston's first female Police chief after climbing through the ranks. She served for two years before becoming the Chief for Austin's Police department before moving onto be a Law Enforcement Consultant.- Personal :...
. Whitmire also appointed the first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, Sylvia R. Garcia, as presiding judge of the Houston Municipal Court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
. Garcia later ran for Houston City Controller and Harris County Commissioner. Whitmire also drafted a major Monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
mass transit plan that was quickly killed off by Bob Lanier
Bob Lanier (politician)
Bob Lanier is a businessman in the real estate industry who served as mayor of the city of Houston, Texas from 1992 to 1998...
, her successor.
The Montrose
Montrose, Houston, Texas
Montrose is a residential neighborhood located in the Neartown area of Houston, Texas, USA. Established in 1911, the neighborhood is a demographically diverse area with renovated mansions, bungalows with wide porches, and cottages located along tree-lined boulevards...
area of Houston held the core of Whitmire's political support in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the 1991 Mayor of Houston election the sole area where the majority of residents voted for Whitmire was Montrose; she took 40% of the vote in Montrose precincts. Houston's 1985 mayoral election, in which Whitmire won reelection over former mayor Louie Welch
Louie Welch
Louie Welch Louie Welch Louie Welch (December 9, 1918Louie Welch (December 9, 1918Louie Welch (December 9, 1918"," Houston Public Library – January 27, 2008,) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Houston, Texas, from 1964 to 1973. -Early life:...
and supporters of the "straight slate" ticket, attracted national attention.
In 2001, Whitmire was featured on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's I Love the 80s program because of her resemblance to Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
's character "Tootsie
Tootsie
Tootsie is a 1982 American comedy film that tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to go to extreme lengths to land a job. The movie stars Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange, with a supporting cast that includes Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman,...
", a comparison that had been made while she was in office.
In 2001, Whitmire moved to Hawaii, where she invests in real estate as of 2008.
Texas State Senator
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
John Whitmire
John Whitmire
John Harris Whitmire is the longest-serving of current members of the Texas State Senate representing District 15, which includes much of northern Houston, since 1983. Previously he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 through 1982...
is her former brother-in-law.