Representatives Jake Johnson, Fred Orr, Walter Knapp, Cread Ray, and Milton Schiller, members of the House Committee on Aeronautics Commission, discuss their findings, 1967. #txlege
John Cornyn (R) was elected Texas Senator in 2002, defeating Ron Kirk (D) and replacing Phil Gramm (R) ... Here are TV ads from both campaigns in that race ...
1902: The view of an unpaved Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, with its electric trolley system. In front of the Capitol you'll find one of the city's newfangled Moonlight Towers, while just to the left - in the distance - is @UTAustin's Old Main.
Today in Austin History:
Week-long Capitol Dedication Begins
AUSTIN, TX May 14, 1888 (@fox7austin) — 138 years ago today...
Crowds packed the sidewalks and second-floor balconies along Congress Avenue to watch the start of the week-long Texas Capitol dedication. This photo from the Austin History Center shows a military parade featuring troops and drill teams from several different states marching toward the new building. Spectators arrived in their best formal attire, with women in gowns and men in suits lining the route to witness the processional.
The parade kicked off a series of events that brought thousands of visitors to Austin from across the country. Although the Capitol was already finished, this 1888 celebration marked the formal acceptance of the granite structure. The military units remained a primary draw throughout the week, participating in precision drill competitions and ceremonies on the Capitol grounds.
The week in Austin featured a variety of public events throughout the city. The schedule included nightly fireworks displays, choral concerts and a grand dedication ball. Local businesses and temporary vendors hosted visitors arriving by excursion trains, while the formal ceremonies culminated with keynote speeches delivered from the Capitol portico to officially turn the building over to the state. #txlege
On Mother’s Day, we remember Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long, the “Mother of Texas.”
A frontier survivor, early settler, and symbol of resilience during the Texas Revolution, she was honored during the 82nd legislature by Rep. Eiland for her enduring spirit.
#txlege
The George W. Bush Presidential Library has released the behind the scenes footage of George W. Bush announcing strikes on Al Qaeda and the Taliban as a response to 9/11
full footage here: https://t.co/m1HfIcx66h
Governor and Mrs. Clements leave the Texas Capitol under the traditional arch of sabers held by members of the Ross Volunteers of Texas A&M University, January 16, 1979. Clements had just been inaugurated as the first Republican governor of Texas in over 100 years. #txlege
1888 & 1986 in Austin:
The Goddess of Liberty's cold shoulder on the Capital City was finally fixed. @fox7austin #txlege
You might not realize it, but for nearly a century, the most famous lady in the Austin skyline was actually looking the wrong way. When the original zinc Goddess was hoisted up in 1888, a bit of nineteenth-century "user error" resulted in her being bolted down with a skewed perspective. While she was intended to watch over the heart of the city, she spent 97 years staring off toward the horizon, essentially giving a cold shoulder to the very people she was meant to represent.
That historical "oops" wasn't corrected until the high-stakes airlift in 1986. After the National Guard finally won their battle with the wind and the rotor wash, they made sure the new aluminum replica was seated with a more southernly gaze. Today, when you look up from Congress Avenue, she is finally looking right back at you—a correction nearly a hundred years in the making that turned a silent sentinel into a true neighbor.