The medical center became operational in the 1950s. The Galveston Freeway and the International Terminal
at Houston International Airport (nowadays Hobby Airport) were signs of increasing wealth in the area. Millions of dollars were
spent replacing aging infrastructure. In 1951, the Texas Children's
Hospital and the Shriner's Hospital were built. Existing hospitals had expansions
being completed. July 1, 1952 was the date of Houston's
first network television. Later on that same year, the University of
Houston celebrated its 25th anniversary. Another problem Houston had back in the 1950s was the fact that it needed a new water supply. They at first
relied on ground water, but that caused land subsidence. They had proposals in the Texas
Congress to use the Trinity river. Hattie Mae White was elected to the school board in 1959. She was the first
African-American to be elected in a major position in Houston
in the 20th Century. Starting in 1950, Japanese-Americans as a whole were leaving horticulture and going into business in
larger cities, such as Houston.
|