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Richard H. Fonville

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American politician
Richard H. Fonville
46th Mayor of Houston
In office
January 2, 1937 – January 2, 1939
Preceded byOscar F. Holcombe
Succeeded byOscar F. Holcombe
Personal details
Born(1882-04-30)April 30, 1882
Texas, U.S.
DiedDecember 13, 1954(1954-12-13) (aged 72)
Eagle Lake, Texas, U.S.
Spouse Clara McCormick ​(m. 1926)​

Richard Henry Fonville (April 30, 1882 – December 13, 1954) was an American politician and pharmacist who served as the 46th Mayor of Houston from 1937 to 1939.

Mayoralty

Fonville defeated incumbent Oscar F. Holcombe and took office in 1937. During his term as mayor, the City of Houston Fire Station No. 11 was built. Today, it is the only historic Art Deco-style fire station remaining in Houston and one of the last remaining examples of civic architecture in Houston dating from the early 20th century. In 1938, Fonville announced a roundup of the prostitutes in Houston at the old Jefferson Davis Hospital, the purpose of this act was to check for venereal diseases. On July 30, 1938, he renamed the Houston Municipal Airport as the "Howard Hughes Airport" as part of the welcoming ceremony at the Houston Hughes homecoming.

Personal life

Fonville married Clara McCormick in 1926. He died at his Eagle Lake hunting lodge of a heart ailment on December 13, 1954. In 1960, Fonville Middle School in Houston was posthumously named after him.

References

  1. ^ "School Information / History of Fonville Middle School". Fonville Middle School. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "Protected Landmark Designation Report" (PDF). Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  3. Gonzales, G.R. (September 30, 2015). "Downtown as it looked from above in 1938". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  4. "Houston's mayors: A complete timeline from 1837 to now". Houston Chronicle. November 3, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  5. "Clara M. Fonville". The Galveston Daily News. December 6, 1994. p. 4.
  6. "Ex-mayor expires". Corsicana Daily Sun. December 13, 1954. p. 11.

External links

Fonville on FindAGrave

Political offices
Preceded byOscar F. Holcombe Mayor of Houston
1937–1939 		Succeeded byOscar F. Holcombe
Mayors of Houston
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