Bill Hobby
Bill Hobby
A Life in Journalism and Public Service
A comprehensive biography of a legendary lieutenant governor.
During his five terms as lieutenant governor of Texas, Bill Hobby became one of the most powerful political figures in the state’s history. He was first elected lieutenant governor of Texas in 1972 and served until 1990. Thanks to his brilliance as a political tactician and his personal integrity, Hobby was able to set the Senate’s agenda and garner respect from legislators on both sides of the aisle.
In Bill Hobby: A Life in Journalism and Public Service, Don Carleton and Erin Purdy document Hobby’s significant contributions to Texas as a journalist, politician, and philanthropist. Born into a prominent Texas family with a rich legacy of public service, he was the son of Houston newspaper publisher and former Texas governor William P. Hobby Sr., and Oveta Culp Hobby, who led the Women’s Army Corps during World War II and served in Eisenhower’s cabinet. After more than a decade as a journalist for the Houston Post, Hobby forged his own political path while also playing a prominent role in his family’s newspaper and television business.
Hobby was never shy about using his power to serve the people of Texas. Even after he left office, he continued to make a difference as a strong advocate for public education, including a term as chancellor of the University of Houston.
This biography of Bill Hobby, the master of the Texas Senate, is a must read. Through interviews with family and colleagues, the authors show how Governor Hobby, who was raised in a legendary Texas family, carved his own legacy.
From the 1970s to the 1990s, two syllables—'Hobby'—conjured the peculiar nature of political power in Texas. Friends and foes alike referred to William Hobby Jr. by his last name alone, and they marveled at the ability of the lieutenant governor to bring order out of chaos in the legislature without speaking above a mumble. Don Carleton and Erin Purdy have produced a wonderful book that captures the man and explains the power.
Don Carleton is the founding executive director of the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. His previous works include The Governor and the Colonel: A Dual Biography of William P. Hobby and Oveta Culp Hobby and Dolph Briscoe: My Life in Texas Ranching and Politics.
Erin L. Purdy is deputy executive director of the Briscoe Center.
The Governor and the Colonel
A Dual Biography of William P. Hobby and Oveta Culp Hobby
By Don Carleton
