Gus Sessions Wortham (February 18, 1891 – September 1, 1976), was a businessman and civic leader in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Biography

He was born on February 18, 1891, in

Mexia, Texas Mexia ( ) is a city in Limestone County, Texas, Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,893 at the 2020 census. The city's motto, based on the fact that outsiders tend to mispronounce the name , is "A great place to live, ...

, to

John Lee Wortham John Lee Wortham (July 18, 1862 – November 4, 1924)John L. Wortham Dies in Houston. ''The Dallas Morning News'', 6 Nov 1924. Retrieved 2013-03-02. was a member of the Railroad Commission of Texas in 1911, and Secretary of State of Texas in 19 ...

and Fannie Sessions. He moved with his father to

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

and opened John L. Wortham and Son, an insurance agency. Eleven years later he founded the American General Insurance Company with

Jesse H. Jones Jesse Holman Jones (April 5, 1874June 1, 1956) was an American Democratic politician and entrepreneur from Houston, Texas. Jones managed a Tennessee tobacco factory at age fourteen, and at nineteen, he was put in charge of his uncle's lumbery ...

James A. Elkins James Anderson Elkins Sr. (25 September 1879 – 1972) was a lawyer and banker in Houston, Houston, Texas. He co-founded the law firm, Vinson & Elkins. Early life Born in Huntsville, Texas, his father was a former Walker County sheriff, but died ...

, and John W. Link. American General was acquired by

American International Group American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is an American multinational finance and insurance corporation with operations in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. , AIG companies employed 49,600 people.https://www.aig.com/content/dam/aig/amer ...

on August 29, 2001. Wortham served two terms as president of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, and he and his wife, Lyndall Finley Wortham, created the Wortham Foundation which supports cultural activities and development of parks in the Houston area. Named in honor of the Worthams are the Wortham Center, which is home of the

Houston Ballet Houston Ballet, operated by Houston Ballet Foundation, is a professional ballet company based in Houston, Texas. The company, consisting of 59 dancers, produces over 85 performances per year. History Tatiana Semenova (1955–1967) Houston dev ...

and the

Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...

, Gus Wortham Park, Gus Wortham memorial fountain, Wortham

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graeme F ...

Theater at the

Houston Museum of Natural Science The Houston Museum of Natural Science (abbreviated as HMNS) is a natural history museum located on the northern border of Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, United States. The museum was established in 1909 by the Houston Museum and Scientific Societ ...

, Wortham World of Primates at the

Houston Zoo The Houston Zoo is a zoological park located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, United States. The zoo houses over 6,000 animals from more than 600 species. It receives 2.1 million visitors each year and is the second most visited zoo i ...

, Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre at the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

, and Wortham Tower in the American General Center.Wortham family and business records, 1864-1997
Wortham's daughter Diana Wortham is a

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

who contributed to Pack Place in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

, where the Diana Wortham Theatre is named for her. He died on September 1, 1976.

References

External links

History of American General Life Company

"Gus S. Wortham family and business records"
(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA) 1891 births 1976 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople People from Mexia, Texas 20th-century American philanthropists {{Houston-stub