University Oaks is a

subdivision Subdivision may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Subdivision (metre), in music * ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009 * "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2) * ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005 * "Subdivisions" (song), by Rus ...

in southeast Houston with approximately 240 homes located adjacent to the University of Houston. It is bounded by Wheeler Avenue to the north, South MacGregor Way to the south, Calhoun Road to the east, and

Cullen Boulevard Cullen may refer to: Places Canada *Cullen, Saskatchewan, a former hamlet in Benson No. 35 Rural Municipality Ireland *Cullen, County Cork, a village near Boherbue, County Cork *Cullen, County Tipperary, a small village in County Tipperary Scotl ...

to the west.University Oaks
" ''Harris County''. Retrieved on April 5, 2009.

History

University Oaks was first platted in 1939 and the land that the subdivision occupies was formerly owned by Ben Taub. The original deed included a

racial covenant A covenant, in its most general sense and historical sense, is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action. Under historical English common law, a covenant was distinguished from an ordinary contract by the presence of a se ...

that restricted homeowners from selling or leasing their houses to any groups other than " the Caucasian race." It was last renewed in 1980. In 1984 the homeowners association had over 150 members. During that year the United States Department of Justice sued the subdivision to force it to remove the racial covenant, which was deemed illegal by the

1968 Fair Housing Act The Civil Rights Act of 1968 () is a landmark law in the United States signed into law by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during the King assassination riots. Titles II through VII comprise the Indian Civil Rights Act, which applie ...

. The defendants were John Baust, the civil club president, and Anita Rodeheaver, the Harris County Clerk. In the lawsuit papers, the subdivision argued that deleting the racial covenant would jeopardize the other provisions from the original deed.Justice Dept. sues to bar racial covenants in deeds
" '' Los Angeles Times'' at '' The Telegraph-Herald''. December 10, 1984. Retrieved on October 18, 2011. In 2006, the University of Houston announced increased development plans—including one to blend low-rise residence halls with the University Oaks subdivision. Doug Erwing, who was at the time the president of the University Oaks Civic Club, announced support for plans to increase retail offerings and added that he would prefer redevelopment that fit with the neighborhood such as lower-rise dormitories as opposed to high rise dormitories.

Education

Houses in the neighborhood are zoned to Houston Independent School District (HISD) schools. The community is within Trustee District IV, represented by Paula M. Harris as of 2009. Some residents are zoned to Lockhart Elementary School while others are zoned to Peck Elementary School. All residents are zoned to Cullen Middle School and

Yates High School Jack Yates Senior High School is a public high school located at 3650 Alabama Street, very near Texas Southern University, in the historic Third Ward in Houston, Texas, United States. Yates High School handles grades nine through twelve and is par ...

. By Spring 2011 HISD planned to consolidate Lockhart and Turner, with a new campus in the Lockhart site.Board Approves School Closings and Consolidations
." '' Houston Independent School District''. November 14, 2008. By the same time frame HISD also plans to consolidate Peck and MacArthur elementary schools, with the replacement campus on the Peck site.Mellon, Ericka.
HISD trustees voting today on school mergers / 4 elementaries would become 2 if proposals OK'd
" '' Houston Chronicle''. Thursday September 11, 2008. B2. Retrieved on April 5, 2009. Residents were previously zoned to Ryan Middle School. In 2013 it closed, with students rezoned to Cullen.

Government and infrastructure

The Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated the Martin Luther King Health Center in southeast Houston for the ZIP code 77004. The designated public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.

Transportation

The

METRORail Purple Line The Purple Line is a METRORail light rail/streetcar route operated by METRO in Houston, Texas, serving Southeast Houston. The line opened on May 23, 2015. Route The Purple Line begins at its northern terminus at Smith Street with split tracks ...

UH South/University Oaks UH South/University Oaks is a light rail station in Houston, Texas, on the Purple Line of the METRORail system. It is on Wheeler Avenue near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on the south side of the University of Houston campus by University Oa ...

railway station serves the neighborhood.

Notable residents

* Guy Lewis, former University of Houston men's basketball coach *

Elizabeth Brown-Guillory Elizabeth Brown-Guillory is an academic, playwright, and performing artist. She is a former professor of English at the University of Houston and is now the Dean of Texas Southern University's Thomas F. Freeman Honors College. Career Brown-Guill ...

, distinguished Professor of Theatre and Associate Provost/Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas Southern University *

Case Keenum Casey Austin Keenum (born February 17, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Houston, where he became the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing ...

, NFL Quarterback

References

External links

University Oaks
{{coord missing, Texas Academic enclaves Third Ward, Houston Neighborhoods in Houston University of Houston campus