Women Shaping Texas in the 20th Century

The Bullock Museum presents the first major exhibit on Texas women's history in a generation

Did you know that women in Texas couldn't serve on a jury until 1954? Or that a married woman couldn't apply for a credit card on her own until 1973? The rights and conveniences enjoyed today were not always the reality in Texas.

Women Shaping Texas in the 20th Century, the first major exhibition in 30 years to tell the story of Texas women's impact in the state's development will be on exhibit at the Bullock Texas State History Museum from December 8, 2012 through May 19, 2013.

The story of Texas wouldn't be complete without the many histories of the determined women who stepped up to fight for rights, improve public services, and help create the state that we know today. Women Shaping Texas celebrates the achievements, crusades, and dedication of Texas' women of the past century. This exhibition is guest-curated by Dr. Paula Marks, an Associate Professor of American Studies at St. Edward's University and prominent author on women's history.

Learn the stories of the well-known and unsung women who have shaped Texas and beyond. Re-encounter inspirational Texas women such as pioneering politician Barbara Jordan and athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias Discover the impact of countless other women in business, education, civil rights, healthcare, government, the arts, and their roles in the preservation of both natural and historic landmarks.

See letters written in the 1950s on behalf of African-American opera singer Barbara Smith Conrad as she faced racism at the University of Texas, as well as a first edition of Dorothy Scarborough's anonymously published novel of 1925, The Wind. Relive the fight to preserve the Alamo with Clara Driscoll, Adina Emilia de Zavala, and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Explore the role that Galveston's women played in rebuilding their city after the devastating hurricane of 1900, and delve into the rise of women's sports under Title IX. View handwritten notes from teenagers documenting racism at the Texas State Fair as they worked with Juanita Craft to protest Negro Day. Examine documents from different sides of the Equal Rights Amendment debate in Texas, and see the kitchen stand-mixer that inventor Bette Graham used to mix up the first batch of Liquid Paper.

Women Shaping Texas in the 20th Century uses these stories as a touchstone to look at the changing role of women throughout the 20th century, as women moved from the home and into the public sphere to improve life and opportunity in their communities and the state as a whole.

Women Shaping Texas in the 20th Century will be on view in the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall of Special Exhibitions at the Bullock Museum December 8, 2012, through May 19, 2013.

Downloads

• Download PDF

---

​​The Bullock Texas State History Museum, a division of the State Preservation Board and an accredited institution of the American Alliance of Museums, creates experiences that educate, engage, and encourage a deeper understanding of Texas. With dynamic, award-winning exhibitions that illuminate Texas history, people, and culture, educational programming for all ages, and an IMAX® theater with a screen the size of Texas, the Museum collaborates with more than 700 museums, libraries, archives, organizations, and individuals across the world to bring the Story of Texas to life. For more information, visit www.TheStoryofTexas.com or call (866)369-7108.