Writing a biography, the story of another person’s life, is a tricky undertaking. People are busy living their lives and few take the time to chronicle them as they go. Oveta Culp Hobby worked in the newspaper business a long time. She spent much of her life telling other people’s stories, not her own.
I used a variety of sources to compile this account of Oveta’s life. I interviewed her son and two of her granddaughters. I read several books that contained information about her, which you can find listed in the bibliography. I read many newspaper articles written about her, especially during her time as director of the Women’s Army Corps and secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. I consulted her archives, which are collections of her papers, located both at the Woodson Research Center Special Collections Archives at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and the Oveta Culp Hobby Memorial Library at Central Texas College in Killeen, Texas. I also read academic papers and dissertations written about her.
There are many people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude for believing in me and in this project. First is Theresa May, editor-in-chief at the University of Texas Press. Not only did she love this project from the first time I shared it with her, she stood by me as life bounced me around a bit and reminded me to always follow my passions and ideals. My mother, Ruthe Winegarten, instilled in me the love of good storytelling. While most people my age talk of falling asleep at night to the sound of their mothers’ sewing machines, my comforting nighttime sound was the rhythmic music of my mother’s bright blue IBM Selectric typewriter, which lulled me to sleep as she wrote her books on Texas women’s history.
My father, Al Winegarten, always listens to my ideas and still sends me extra money so I can pay for all the little hidden necessities a book like this requires, like photo permissions, so the gorgeous pictures here can bring Oveta’s story to life. To my heart partner, Cindy Huyser, who picks up the household duties when I’m immersed in finishing a project, I am always and forever thankful for your support. And to my brother, Marc Sanders, who reminds me not to take myself too seriously and to cherish all the little things in life.
A good writer has good writer friends to read manuscripts and give honest feedback, and I certainly have my share of good writer friends. Nancy Baker Jones and Robert Pando provided much-needed critical reviews that helped keep my errors to a minimum. To the Hobby family—Bill, Diana, Laura Hobby Beckworth, and Heather Catto Kohout—I am indebted for sharing your personal memories of Oveta. To the marvelous women in my Wednesdivas critique group—Marty McAllister, Mary Day Long, P. J. Pierce, and Jeanne Guy—you will always hold a special place in my heart for your diligence and love. To Kimberly Cockrill, who sat with me for endless hours and helped me finish the book, you are my hero.
I have tried to put together as accurate a story as possible about this remarkable woman, and I’m sure I’ve made mistakes along the way. I’ve done my best to paint an honest picture of Oveta, to show her sincerity and love of her country, her dedication to making the world a better place, her humor, and her humanity. If this story inspires just one person to take a risk and try to do something they didn’t think themselves capable of, I will consider my job to have been done well. I hope you, dear reader, are that person.
Debra L. Winegarten
AUSTIN, TEXAS